desertfiredesigns

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:⁠
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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
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To purchase tickets, please head to and click the link in their bio.⁠
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See you there!
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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

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]

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