Volcanic Vista

Volcanoes in Queensland are some of the oldest in eastern Australia, and there are approximately 80 of them between the Sapphire Gemfields and Clermont – including Mt Hoy and Mt Leura, two primary sources of our beautiful sapphires.

Volcano hot spots… Our fortune 

Between 70 and 40 million years ago, as the Earth’s crust shifted, moving Australia closer to its current position, hotspots developed below. Sapphire and zircon crystals formed deep within the Earth’s mantle. They were carried to the surface with ash and lava during eruptions of explosive-type volcanoes.

→

Mount Hoy, Policeman’s Knob, and Mount Leura are some of the basalt plugs you can see today, which are the remains of these volcanoes. Over millions of years of weather and erosion, the gemstones were released from this volcanic material and washed into ancient riverbeds called paleo-drainage systems. These layers of gravel are known as wash, and they vary in depth from just under the surface to up to 20 metres deep.

↓

The vista you see before you is the product of a hotbed of volcanic activity.

Location

Open in Apple Maps
Open in Google Maps
Open in What 3 Words

what3words

Download the what3words app to help you follow the Trail.
Here are the ///what3words identifiers for this location and for the three closest stops:

You are here: ///syndicate.cope.midst

Where to next?

Welcome to Rubyvale – ///autopilot.assumes.meadow

Black Star of Queensland – Reward – ///guises.storyline.suppression

Autumn Glory – Reward – ///competitive.dance.coils

Scroll to Top