desertfiredesigns

24/10/2023

Only a few days until the 2023 .
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Hosted by the , this not-for-profit event is a great day out for the entire family with activities to suit young and old.⁠

Come and check out our stunning collection of mineral specimens and cut gems, including the highly sought after Gold in Quartz from the now legendary Beta Hunt Mine in WA.
Each piece is a carefully crafted to bring out a work of art from its natural form.

Murray calls this one “Girl Dancing With Selfie Stick.” What do you see?...

Beta Hunt gold in quartz. 37 x 22 x 3 mm.

Come on down and visit our stall this weekend at the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre.
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Event Date: 27-29th October 2023
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See you real soon!⁠
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23/10/2023

Calling all gem and jewellery enthusiasts!

Now it is less than 1 week to go for the . Hosted by , the PGMS…which will be on for 3 days -

Event Date: 27-29th October 2023
Time:
9am-5pm (Fri, 27 OCT)⁠
9am-5pm (Sat, 28 OCT)⁠
9am-4pm (Sun, 29 OCT)⁠
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Tickets: (Book online)
Adults $5.00 Concession $3.00
FREE entry for children under 16⁠
⁠
To purchase tickets, please head to and click the link in their bio.⁠
Among the suites of gems that I am planning to display at the PGMS will be the exceptional varieties of Tiger Eye from the well-known Marra Mamba formation, found in WA’s Pilbara region.
Only two deposits have ever produced “true” Mara Mamba, a rare type with reds, blues, yellow, gold and greens. ‘Metallic’ bands of magnetite combined with riebeckite all layered within jasper of various hues resulting in stunning and unique patterns.
This variety of Marra Mamba tiger eye shown here, I have never seen before and there was only sufficient rough to fashion five or six cabs of various sizes. Due to the exceptional light blue chatoyancy of this material I have taken the liberty of calling it ‘Pilbara sky’ tiger eye. These gems will be available for viewing at our booth next weekend.
It has taken many years of experimenting and patience for me to produce the high-quality polish on this arresting material, bringing out its vibrant colours and brilliant chatoyancy.
Marra Mamba tiger eye is without a doubt a very beautiful, multi mineral, wonder. Come and see for yourself and discover the many nuances of this totally absorbing, world class, local gemstone.

Swing by our stand - we'd love to share the fascinating, unique and unexpected stories that reveal the origins of our gems.

See you all at the Show!

16/10/2023

Do you want to know more about mineralogy, gemmology, lapidary or geoscience?

Then don't miss the 2023 (PGMS) very soon! Doors open at:
9am (Friday, 27 October)
9am on both Saturday, 28 Oct and Sunday, 29 Oct.

Celebrating the improvisation of nature’s geochemistry with the elements being chalcedony, nickel, drusy quartz, iron oxides and weathering.

At Desert Fire Designs, each piece is different. Material is carefully selected and crafted to bring out its unique character, a representation of the rich diversity found in nature. Enjoy some of the artwork created in these polished chrysoprase samples*.

It'll be a great day out for the whole family, so round up the kids, grandparents and friends and head down to the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Event Date: 27-29th October 2023
Time:
9am-5pm (Fri, 27 OCT)⁠
9am-5pm (Sat, 28 OCT)⁠
9am-4pm (Sun, 29 OCT)⁠
⁠
Tickets: (Book online)
Adults $5.00 Concession $3.00
FREE entry for children under 16⁠
⁠
To purchase tickets, please head to and click the link in their bio.⁠
*Note that these images represent samples only and may not currently be available for sale.

13/10/2023

After the roaring success of the previous years, the (PGMS) is back for 2023!⁠
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Not only are we excited to be an exhibitor again, but Desert Fire Designs is also one of the proud sponsors of PGMS 2023. ⁠
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Hosted by the Mineralogical Society of Western Australia () and with major sponsors Azure Minerals Limited, Sandfire Resources, Anglo Gold Ashanti () and Galileo Mining Ltd, the PGMS showcases many of the wonders that the mineral, gem and geoscience communities have to offer, with a special focus on Western Australia’s mineral heritage. ⁠
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The theme for this year is GRANITE. Come and visit our stand to see our exquisite suite of Pollucite and Lepidolite from the Sinclair Mine, a Granitic Pegmatite deposit in WA. ⁠
Tourmaline is also found in pegmatites; if Murray can get it all ready in time, he may even have some specimens of watermelon tourmaline and faceted teal tourmaline from WA’s Spargoville mine deposit.

Head to the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre:⁠
⁠
Event Date: 27-29th October 2023
Time:
9am-5pm (Fri, 27 OCT)⁠
9am-5pm (Sat, 28 OCT)⁠
9am-4pm (Sun, 29 OCT)⁠
⁠
Tickets: (Book online)
Adults $5.00 Concession $3.00
FREE entry for children under 16⁠
⁠
To purchase tickets, please head to and click the link in their bio.⁠
⁠
See you there!
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⁠

23/09/2023

One last reminder about today's exhibition - Stone and Lace - by Tineke Van Der Eecken.

Tineke combines expertly crafted natural WA gem materials with her ancestral Belgian gold and silver thread work. The result is a truly stunning and unique collection of bespoke pieces, aptly named “Stone and Lace.”
Come and enjoy this display at Desert Fire Design’s showroom where you can meet Tineke and Murray.

Date: Saturday 23rd September 2023
Time: 10am – 3pm
Venue: Desert Fire Designs showroom – Unit 15/14 Whyalla Street Willetton

21/09/2023

Counting down to the Stone and Lace Exhibition: Saturday 23rd September 2023

Tineke Van der Eecken is an award-winning Belgian-born Australian multidisciplinary artist with a fascination for the natural world. She is currently President of the Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of WA.

The collection draws on Tineke’s Flemish heritage and her paternal grandmother’s lace-making. Patterns of lace are imprinted in the silver or included in the metal design through wire work in fine silver and gold. Many of the designs are framed around exquisitely selected, cut and polished stones by Murray Thompson at Desert Fire Designs.

Date: Saturday 23rd September 2023
Time: 10am – 3pm
Venue: Desert Fire Designs showroom – Unit 15/14 Whyalla Street Willetton

Please RSVP to be on the guest list for the day - [email protected] or
[email protected]

19/09/2023

Desert Fire Designs are busy getting the showroom ready for this Saturday's exhibition:
“Stone and Lace”
Desert Fire Designs are excited to be hosting a unique jewellery exhibition featuring a new collection from local WA jeweller Tineke Van Der Eecken.

Date: Saturday 23rd September 2023
Time: 10am – 3pm
Venue: Desert Fire Designs showroom – Unit 15/14 Whyalla Street Willetton

Tineke combines expertly crafted natural WA gem materials with her ancestral Belgian gold and silver thread work. The result is a truly stunning and unique collection of bespoke pieces, aptly named “Stone and Lace.”
Come and enjoy this display at Desert Fire Design’s showroom where you can meet Tineke and Murray.

Please RSVP to be on the guest list for the day - [email protected] or [email protected]

17/09/2023

The Tineke Creations Exhibit – “Stone and Lace”
Coming soon..
Date: Saturday 23rd September 2023
Time: 10am – 3pm
Venue: Desert Fire Designs showroom – Unit 15/14 Whyalla Street Willetton

Please RSVP to be on the guest list for the day - [email protected] or [email protected]

13/09/2023

The Tineke Creations Exhibit – “Stone and Lace”
Desert Fire Designs are excited to be hosting a unique jewellery exhibition very soon featuring a new collection from local WA jeweller Tineke Van Der Eecken.

Date: Saturday 23rd September 2023
Time: 10am – 3pm
Venue: Desert Fire Designs showroom – Unit 15/14 Whyalla Street Willetton

Tineke combines expertly crafted natural WA gem materials with her ancestral Belgian gold and silver thread work. The result is a truly stunning and unique collection of bespoke pieces, aptly named “Stone and Lace.”
Come and enjoy this display at Desert Fire Design’s showroom where you can meet Tineke and Murray.

Please RSVP to be on the guest list for the day - [email protected] or [email protected]

22/08/2023

To be able to return again to Kalgoorlie after another 20 plus years as a member of the gem trade was a totally unexpected and delightful experience. The gem of an idea that Julianne and I discussed only in June this year quite literally took on a life of its own and it was totally ON! In reality, we both really wanted to try it out; that is what fuelled the whole remarkable event for us.
From the start, we had unquestioning support from multiple sources. At my end it was Charmaine and Eric (in fact the whole family… thank you!) who volunteered their new 4WD to take all my display cases and gear to Kal from Perth (600+ kms, one way), and then unload it and set up it, thank you so much! (to do it all again 6 days later back to Perth, very special people).
A big thank you to Joanne who said yes to us having renting her studio (Quin Collective) for a whole week. It worked superbly as a jewellery store venue.
Cam was our security person, he astounded us not only with his spruiking prowess but also his salesmanship…extraordinary mate, thank you so much, it was a pleasure working with you (your life stories were very entertaining).
And finally, a huge thank you to Julianne (and to her partner John), for all the work and planning to make this happen. I have learned so much from you on so many levels related to retailing, a real pleasure…and so much fun.
Quickly recapping the event, we had prospectors (both for gold and gems) call in for a talk and to show me their latest finds. D&D delegates (local and overseas) discussing exploration targets for lithium and variscite specifically. Out-of-towners from interstate. Many, oh so many locals, miners coming off shift, farmers from the ‘Great Southern’, a group of journos from the local newspaper. One client even checked himself out of hospital (in Perth) to visit our store! And the stories, oh my….

We had such a positive adventure that we are looking forward to planning a similar event at the same time next year. It was such an unexpected pleasure, a humbling and unique experience. Thank you to everyone who came, and supported us. Thankyou Kalgoorlie.

Murray Thompson

https://desertfiredesigns.com/our-stories/Desert Fire Designs and JLK Artistry collaboration in Kalgoorlie

18/08/2023

DFD are back after a hugely successful week in Kalgoorlie with JLK Artistry. Thankyou to everyone who visited!

08/08/2023

Look at these 2 celebrities... front page news in Kalgoorlie!

Handcrafted jewellery featuring gemstones from the Goldfields are being highlighted this week as JLK Artistry showcases a unique collection born from a passion for creating heirloom pieces.

01/08/2023

Only a few days until our Kalgoorlie pop up boutique with JLKArtistry.

The workshop has been buzzing getting ready.

Open Sunday 6th - Thursday 10th August
storefront
Corner of Hannan & Cassidy Street
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Mon - Thurs: 9am - 6pm

28/07/2023

Getting ready for a big week in Kalgoorlie....

The Gem Cutter is working his magic, the Jewellers are finishing gem setting and the Vault is getting cracked open. 🤩💎

Come visit us in the Kalgoorlie pop up boutique for a local gemstone and jewellery wonderland.

Open Sunday 6th - Thursday 10th August
storefront
Corner of Hannan & Cassidy Street

Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Mon - Thurs: 9am - 6pm

25/07/2023

Hot out of the sphere cutting lab today!⁠
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Variscite 75mm polished spheres.⁠
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Variscite occurs as a massive fine grained mineral, a hydrated Aluminium Phosphate, often with visually appealing hues of yellow-blue greens.⁠
These samples are from the Mount Deverell deposit on Milgun Station, north of Meekatharra. The mineral occurs in narrow near-surface viens which cut irregularly silicified shale and mudstone (matrix). The colours here have an exceptional richness of green contrasting well with the surrounding matrix material.

14/07/2023

07/07/2023

Desert Fire Designs will in Kalgoorlie WA from August 6 - 11th this year.
Featuring handcrafted pieces of gold veined quartz from the Beta Hunt gold mine, transformed into stunning jewellery items by JLK Artistry.
See https://desertfiredesigns.com/kalgoorlie-august-7-9-2023-kalgoorlie-wa/

# JLK Artistry

30/06/2023

Transforming rocks into solid spheres...
Read about the full journey at https://desertfiredesigns.com/transforming-rocks-into-polished-spheres/
From Murray:
"The process of crafting spheres by hand in a workshop is an intricate and time-consuming process, even when accurate machining is involved. As a passionate lapidarist, I was recently approached by a prominent West Australian copper/gold mining company with a unique proposition – to transform rough-sawn slabs comprised of malachite, chrysocolla, and jasper minerals into exquisite 75mm spheres.⁠"