Matt Betteridge, who co-owns Betteridge Sapphires with his partner Amber in Central Queensland’s mining region, was conducting a fossicking expedition in the Reward area, renowned for its valuable gemstones. In the footage shared, Betteridge explained that recent heavy rainfall had affected the region, prompting him to search for gems before the weather conditions deteriorated further.
While manually digging, Betteridge expressed his amazement upon uncovering the stone, stating, “Look at that! Wow! It’s getting bigger! I just want to see how big this thing is… Wow, look at that!” After pulling the sapphire from the ground, he described it as “huge” and conveyed his astonishment at the discovery.
In an interview with Yahoo, Betteridge later shared that he had been leisurely walking through the gem fields when he noticed a glimmering object on the road. Upon closer inspection, he realized the 394-carat sapphire had been waiting to be discovered.
Despite the sapphire’s remarkable size and rarity, the couple has decided against cutting the gem, given its commercial value of approximately $1,000. Betteridge explained, “It’s going to remain in its natural form because it has an intriguing crystal structure. I prefer to preserve its natural beauty as cutting it would be sacrilege.”
The Betteridges, well-versed in extraordinary finds, frequently share their discoveries through social media. Earlier this year, their seven-year-old son, Riley, uncovered a 14.5-carat sapphire worth up to $10,000 just 200 meters from their home in Rubyvale. The video of his discovery has garnered nearly 3 million views on TikTok, with some viewers humorously commenting that Riley “surely earned a day off school.”
