In South Australia, we are world renowned for our opal production. A very justifiable reputation it is.
However, there is a little-known fact about us Southerners. We have more than opal and gold fields. We also have a remarkable diamond discovery, based in Echunga, in the Adelaide hills.
Australia itself actually produces many diamonds, in particular, we are known for coloured diamonds. We are famous for our pink, purple and red diamonds and we are the producers of some of the highest grade yellow diamonds in the world. However, the lesser known Echunga diamonds are interesting because of the mystery surrounding their origins.
We don’t tend to get much volcanic activity in Australia these days. The last eruptions in South Australia can be dated back to around 5,000 around years ago, in the Mount Gambier region. Gemstones and volcanic activity go hand in hand. In particular, volcanic pipes known as Kimberlite and Lamproite pipes, are associated with diamond creation. The Echunga mystery lies in the fact that South Australia has none of the requisite volcanic cones. So where did these mysterious diamonds spring from?
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Echunga is a small town located in the Adelaide Hills, around 40 minutes from Adelaide city. It has not changed much in over 100 years, a humble hills town, much like any other. It may be small and quaint but it was a prolific producer of gold in the last century. It was during the prospecting years that the Echunga diamonds were found.
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Discovered between 1859 and 1886, this hoard of around 50 diamonds still has the same air of mystery. Just as they did at the time of discovery. Some of the original Echunga diamonds are currently in the museum of South Australia's collection.
Gerard McCabe himself first appraised five of the original Echunga diamonds for the South Australian Museum and Department of Mines in 1994. He noted these diamonds were varying shades of yellow. His research uncovered what sounds like a story too incredible to be true; that the largest Echunga diamond, the 2.93ct “Glover diamond”, was originally a pale red colour but after being stored with radioactive materials during the 1950s has been turned to a fine yellow.
It was this encounter with the origin stones that inspired Gerard to design his own coloured diamond collection. In particular, he took inspiration from the variation in colour and shapes of the diamonds uncovered from the Echunga Goldfields.
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Today, we are so pleased to announce some new additions to the Echunga collection. Inspired by the picturesque locations of the Adelaide Hills region and by the many characters and stories that the period inspired.
Our coloured diamonds are from the highest quality sources and our Echunga collection celebrates the mystery surrounding the original stones. No two diamonds are alike, leaving the collection unlike any other. We refer to our Echunga collection diamonds as ‘flavours’. This is the best descriptor for their vibrant brilliancy of colour. Think pineapple, kiwi, bubblegum, oyster and lemon, to name a few. These aren’t technical terms in the industry but we think they give a wonderfully evocative sense of the colour.
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Be enamoured with the mystery and lore surrounding the Echunga collection. Our local history is so important to us at Gerard McCabe. We are proud to be a fourth-generation South Australian-owned and run family business. It is what defines and shapes our company, and continues to inspire our designs and our future path.
These beautiful designs and fanciful coloured diamonds need to be seen to be believed. If you would like to see our Echunga collection in person, and hear more about its creation from our fantastic staff, why not visit us in-store today?