NANGAR GEMS

The Bush Jeweller

History

 

    Nangar Gems is owned and operated by a farming family. What started out as a hobby for Geoff has now turned into a 20 year business. Geoff had always been interested in Wende's family history of faceting (cutting) Sapphires, which goes back to 1924 when her grandfather Tom Cant went over to Germany to learn to cut Sapphires. Tom Cant is believed to be the first man to facet sapphires in Inverell and one of the first to have faceted sapphires in Australia.

    In 1984 Geoff started fossicking for sapphires at Wende's parents sapphire mine in Inverell. Geoff then set himself up a small work shop beside their house, where he taught himself to cut and set the sapphires.

    When Geoff became more experienced he set up small display in the workshop. No one was more surprised the Geoff when people made their way some 40km's from the nearest town to view and buy his designs.

    With the wool market falling Geoff realised that jewellery might just be the answer. And why not if people would come all that way remembering that 15km's of it was gravel. So in 1992 Geoff and Wende started Nangar Gems.

    At first not sure if it would succeed they opened a small shop in Geoff's sisters double garage in Eugowra. This proved to be worth the risk as Nangar Gems soon became known as a place where you could not only get quality jewellery but minerals, artwork, wood work and pottery.

    Wende too loved gemstones and had in fact as a child often asked her grandfather too teach her to facet, but he passed away before he could.  While Geoff was refining his talent Wende read up and researched her love of minerals and gemstones.

    In 1996 Nangar Gems relocated to 2 Forbes Rd Eugowra. It was here that Geoff taught Wende to facet and Geoff got his name as 'The Bush Jeweller' after one of Geoff's customers called him 'her bush jeweller'. They remained there for 8 years.  Then in August 2003 Nangar Gems moved to Canowindra and remained there for two years, and has now relocated to 215 Clarinda St Parkes 2870 where it will stay.