I am off on a bucket-list adventure to Australia and New Zealand! Not the one I fantasized about for years where I took a year traveling the countries and trading living quarters for help in studios. But here are my stops on the tour (don’t want to be specific about date because…well you all know why). I would appreciate if anyone would tell me of jewelers, studios, galleries or museum exhibitions I should make time for in those cities.
Cairns
Alice Springs
Sydney
Christchurch
Mt. Cook
Queenstown
Rotorua
Auckland
Hi there,
It has been a while, but I spent many years in Australia and New Zealand. If you have any time in Cairns, then go up into the Tablelands to Kuranda. I bought some beautiful natural blue topazes there from a couple who had a mining claim. They used to have a Saturday craft market which was unlike any where else. What makes Australia so unique from a jeweler standpoint is all the gemstones mined there. You can find beautiful Topazes, emeralds, zircons, colored diamonds, and of course opals. And many other unique stones. That is where I would shift my focus. Cairns used to be a cowboy town that has gone all upmarket. Also you could head north to Port Douglas where there might be a few interesting shops. But gems are the highlight in that country.
There are some interesting contemporary jewellery galleries in Sydney.
Look up
COTA in the Strand Arcade
Studio 20/17 North Sydney
Stanley Street Gallery in East Sydney
Melanie Ihnen in Gaffa, Clarence Street
Square Peg in Marrickvile has a group of jewellers and some day access if you want to make something.
They all have a range of individual pieces in the gallery as well as exhibitions. January is not a good time since most people are on holidays.
Alice Springs, not much in terms of jewellery but plenty of other art.
Enjoy your trip.
While not technically a gallery, you may consider a visit to the Peter Minturn Goldsmiths School located at 355 New North Road, Kingsland Auckland. Peter was a london trained master goldsmith who established the school following his retirement and the school provides technical educatoin and training at a number of levels. They maintain, (or used to), an exhibition space showing a variety of their students work. Most of which is of an astonishingly high standard.
Their website provides a wealth of information. https://www.jewel.school.nz/
Trust that you enjoy your visit “down under”