1995–1996 Gems

This issue celebrates Australian gems.

The 45c stamp features a pearl. There are cultured pearl farming areas from Exmouth Bay to Kuri Bay in Western Australia, the coast of the Northern Territory, the Torres Strait and the northeast coast of Queensland.

The $1.20 stamp depicts a diamond. Diamonds were first found in the 19t century, but they weren’t enough to be economically viable. It wasn’t until the 1970s that large deposits were found in the Kimberly region. The biggest of the mines was the Argyle Diamond Mine, which is now decommissioned. The Argyle is known to supply over 90% of the world’s pink and red diamonds.

Proclaimed the national gemstone of Australia, the opal, famous for its play in colour. In antiquity, opals were rare and very valuable. In Europe, it was a gem prized by royalty. Until the opening of vast deposits in Australia in the 19th century, the only known source was Červenica beyond the Roman frontier in Slovakia. Today, Australia produces 95% of the world’s opals.

The stamp issues uses EXELGRAM, a very thin plastic embossed with a special light-diffracting structure that brings the gems to life, emulating their brilliance and lustre. The image here doesn’t do this justice; the brilliance must be seen with your own eyes. This stamp issue is the first commercial use of Optically Variable Device technology that the CSIRO developed.

Technical Details

Stamp design: Sue Passmore (Opals) and Janett Boshcen (Diamond and Pearl)

Issue date: 5 April 1995 (Opals) and 5 September 1996 (Diamond and Pearl)