For decades, Crystal World’s mining operations have been built on hands-on exploration and geological knowledge across Australia. With more than thirty-five mining leases and exploration tenements, Tom Kapitany, the founder of Crystal World, and his team have worked in some of the country’s most remote and mineral-rich regions searching for crystals, fossils, gemstones, and rare geological specimens. By sourcing much of our material directly from the field, we are able to offer authentic specimens with known origins and quality.
Mining in Australia often involves long distances, harsh conditions, and isolated terrain. It takes patience, persistence, and experience to locate and recover quality specimens while preserving their natural beauty. Many of the specimens recovered from these field expeditions are displayed or housed at Crystal World, while others have been supplied to museums, collectors, and institutions around the world.
Our passion for mining continues today, with Tom regularly travelling to inspect leases, explore new ground, and source fresh discoveries. On his most recent trip, Tom and his crew returned to his Mpwelarre Lattice Sunstone Mine in the Harts Range.
Exploring the Harts Range
The Harts Range is a rugged, isolated region located in the Central Desert of the Northern Territory, roughly 215 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. On this trip, our team operated under an environmental permit to conduct limited exploration work and survey the area in order to plan for a proper mining program. The team successfully sampled new areas and found some Lattice Sunstone specimens.
However, the trip wasn’t without challenges. Upon arrival, Tom’s crew discovered extensive diggings that were made illegally by Scott Smith and others. Scott Smith (alongside his business partner and wife, Kimberley Smith) is a commercial gemstone miner known in the region for operating unauthorised or illicit excavations.
Ultimately, Tom’s crew managed to legally extract about 1.5 tonnes of material, including:
Confetti Sunstone
Garnet
Epidote
Magnetite
Cordierite
Following the same method used for Rainbow Lattice Sunstone, the team decided to stabilise the Confetti Sunstone in the Crystal World workshop for lapidary purposes. This stabilisation ensures that the Confetti Sunstone can be easily cut and polished with only minimal chipping or breaking.
Community & Land Access
At Crystal World, our team works with local communities. Before conducting any work, the Indigenous community surveyed the areas and informed us of all restricted zones. The team also coordinated with the local landholders, who restrict access to everyone without the proper visiting permits due to biosecurity concerns.
Tom has plans on returning to Mpwelarre Sunstone Mine with a new permit that will allow for the extraction of Rainbow Lattice Sunstone and other minerals. Confetti Sunstone and Lattice Sunstone specimens from the Mpwelarre Sunstone mine are available for purchase in-store and on our online store.
