The Rockshop at Harties

We’re back digging through the 2-ton pile of rough rocks once again — and this time we make it interesting. To keep things fun, we blindfold Grace and let her pick one rock completely at random from the basket. Unsurprisingly, she chooses what looks like the ugliest rock of the lot. After washing the stone and taking a closer look, we start analysing what we actually have. At first glance it doesn’t look like much, but we break it down step by step and try to identify it properly. To help us out, we ask ChatGPT to identify the rock, and it does a surprisingly good job with a clear and accurate explanation. The verdict? A common but interesting combination — quartz and amphibole, with minor pyrite and mica imprint. No rare treasure this time, but still a great learning moment. That makes it ChatGPT 1 – Rockshop 1 for this series. With another two tons of rough still to go, this is just the beginning — and it’s going to be a lot of fun.

We load the last 2 tons of massive Butter Jade boulders in Pretoria using a block and tackle, because the stones are far too heavy to lift by hand. With a Hilux and a long chain, we drag the huge jade boulders into position and after two hours of hard work, everything is finally loaded. We take the long road back to the Rockshop in Hartbeespoort, transporting rare, heavy natural jade. At the Rockshop, the large Butter Jade pieces are offloaded by hand, and where they land is where they will be sold and dispatched. The video ends with a visit to Chameleon Market, showing how raw Butter Jade boulders are transformed into world-class stone sculptures.

Our ten large boxes from China have arrived. We unpack everything in the parking lot, and the excitement is real. Each box is a surprise filled with beautiful treasures. Inside the boxes you will find: ✨ Freshwater pearls ✨ Gemstone jewellery ✨ Bags filled with loose gemstones ✨ Shell pearls ✨ Gemstone lights and unique gift items Our shop is now full of affordable stock again. Silver Hills looks like it did in the old days. Packed shelves, great prices, and something for everyone. Customers are already driving long distances to visit us. The staff is excited, and the shop is buzzing with energy. We are working hard to get everything onto the shelves. 📍 Silver Hills is definitely worth a visit right now! Come and see the new gemstone stock for yourself.

Today I’m in Ketang, China , visiting my friend Yulon at his home. His house is humble, and I feel honoured that he invited me inside. When we arrive, he shows me his name painted on the wall — written by himself with a large calligraphy brush. He even painted the names on his neighbours’ houses. His brush skills are incredible. This is what real rural China looks like. Inside his home, he serves me traditional tea with parched rice and peanuts . A simple but beautiful gesture of hospitality. His wife shows me how she strings beads to earn extra money. Beads are placed on two rolling bars, and she slides a needle through them. The beads almost “jump” onto the string. She earns only 10–15 USD per day (about R250 ) and receives just 0.20 RMB per string. For higher-quality beads she earns 0.50 RMB per bracelet, but selecting the best stones takes much longer. Then we visit the local gem mall , where I buy some inexpensive jewellery and get a real feel for the markets in rural Chi...

Ever wondered how they drill holes in irregular gemstone beads? This video shows the entire process. We visit a gemstone factory hidden in a residential area. There are hundreds of small gemstone workshops like this. This factory makes beads and drills holes in quartz crystals and irregular stones. We travel there on Yulon’s 20-year-old bike. Up one flight of stairs we enter a world of noise and activity. The factory is buzzing with workers. Two beads are drilled at the same time. A vibrating shaft with metal rods creates friction. A mix of abrasive powder and water cuts straight through the stone. The hole is drilled from one side and finished on the other. It is surprisingly fast. But the work is repetitive and exhausting. We walk to the next floor, but it is not operating today. This is real gemstone manufacturing in China. Raw. Loud. Authentic. Watch how beads are drilled from start to finish. If you enjoy behind-the-scenes gemstone videos, subscribe today. Don’t...

Today we take you inside a world few people ever get to see—the heart of a small bead-making workshop in Ketang, China. I ride through the busy streets with Yulon, who worked at this factory just a week ago. His motorbike is more than 20 years old, and let me tell you… riding through Ketang traffic on that thing is a CRAZY experience all on its own! Our first stop was a factory that turned out to be closed, but we didn’t give up. We set off again and eventually arrived at a small working bead shop—when I say “factory,” it’s really just two hard-working men shaping gemstones by hand. They were cutting Brazilian quartz crystals into perfect little cubes using a thin 1 mm diamond saw. Each crystal is inspected, chosen for its clear areas, and sliced down by hand. Some cubes come out large, others small, depending on the stone. From there, the beads normally go into the next stage where they are rounded—but that machine wasn’t running today. After rounding, the beads are polished until ...

Today I take you along on my early-morning walk through Guangzhou as I head from my hotel to the famous Liwan Plaza . I stayed at a 7 Days Inn, and like most newcomers to China I expected the city to already be buzzing… but I quickly discovered something interesting: China doesn’t wake up early. Shops stay open late, and the streets only start getting busy after 11 AM — which meant I stepped out into a surprisingly quiet city. On my way, I explore the walking street near Liwan and come across the beautiful bronze sculptures placed along the path. They capture daily life in old Guangzhou and add incredible character to the area. It feels like walking through an open-air museum. Then I enter Liwan Plaza , and honestly… I am blown away. Floor after floor, shop after shop, stacked with stock — jewellery, packaging, beads, displays, tools… everything you could imagine and more. It’s overwhelming in the best way possible. I eventually find the small shop I’ve been looking for: the one...

Join me as I take a slow, curious walk through one of Guangzhou ’s most authentic local markets in the heart of the Liwan district . The streets are old, cobbled, and alive with colour, sounds, and the smell of fresh produce. This is not the tourist version of China — this is real daily life. From stalls overflowing with incredible vegetables to traditional meat sellers preparing cuts on wooden blocks, this market has everything. I pass fishmongers splashing water over tanks filled with live crabs and fish, chickens with their feet and heads still on, and even a jet-black chicken — something you don’t often see in South Africa ! Eggs of every shape, size, and colour line the tables. People chat, bargain, laugh, and go about their day. Right there on the street, barbers cut hair under umbrellas, and on my second day I even sat down for a street beard trim — a uniquely Guangzhou experience I'll never forget. Walk with me through the Liwan market and see this vibrant worl...

Step with me into China’s Pearl Wholesale Paradise as we explore one of the busiest and most fascinating gemstone hubs in the world— Liwan, Guangzhou . In this video, I take you on a rare walk-through inside a massive pearl wholesaler’s warehouse , giving you an up-close look at the incredible volume, variety, and quality of pearls packed into just one store. Liwan is known globally as a powerhouse in the pearl trade, and today you’ll see exactly why. From endless rows of freshwater pearl strands to trays of perfectly matched round pearls, baroque pearls, rice pearls, button pearls , and more, this warehouse showcases the full spectrum of what China’s pearl industry has to offer. Whether you’re a jewelry maker, gemstone lover, reseller, or simply curious about where pearls come from, this behind-the-scenes tour is an eye-opening experience. As we move through the warehouse, I’ll show you the difference between commercial-grade , mid-grade , and high-grade pearls—and how pearl buye...

What a day it’s been here at Silver Hills Gems in Hartbeespoort! In this video, I take you behind the scenes of our shop and show you what really goes into the work we do every day. We start off by sorting rubies on a glass table – a fascinating process where you can see each stone’s unique color and clarity come to life. From there, we move on to something creative: mounting sapphire crystals and rubies on small mirror tiles . This little trick not only makes the stones look incredible but also gives them a beautiful reflective backdrop perfect for display or photography. Speaking of photography, I’ll also share a few quick tips on how to improve your gemstone photos for the internet – great for anyone selling or showcasing their pieces online. If you’d like me to make a more in-depth, step-by-step video on this topic, let me know in the comments! We wrap up the day by adding some stylish touches to the shop: putting up our new Casa de Fonte tiles (inspired by Macau) and revea...

Description: We recently acquired a massive double-terminated quartz crystal weighing an incredible 70 kilograms . Its natural beauty was already breathtaking, but I wanted to take it one step further and transform it into a true showpiece. So, I headed to the scrapyard to source some steel and came back with a pile of curved pipes. After plenty of cutting, welding, and fitting , we finally created a unique stand that perfectly supports the crystal. But we didn’t stop there—holes were drilled into the pipes, and we wired up a 20-watt LED spotlight at the back. The result? Absolutely electrifying ! This once raw crystal is now a high-end interior décor piece , complete with a convenient push switch on the floor. You can come and experience this masterpiece in person at Silver Hills Gems, 74 Scott Street, Hartbeespoort . While you’re here, enjoy a coffee on the deck and let the kids have fun digging for treasures in our gemstone scratch patch . ✨ Trust me, it’s worth the visit!

Great! Here's a rich, atmospheric video description for your YouTube channel episode where young Helmut visits Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and listens to agate stories from dealers around the world. It blends documentary storytelling with a touch of childlike wonder and global perspective: Video Description: In this episode, we follow Helmut , a young agate enthusiast with an old soul, as he wanders through the legendary mineral show at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines in France. Surrounded by a kaleidoscope of crystals, gemstones, and rock dealers from every continent, Helmut isn’t just hunting for the most beautiful agate—he’s listening for the stories hidden inside them. This is a journey not just across the stalls of a world-famous show, but across cultures, myths, and memories —all shared by passionate collectors and dealers who have spent decades with these stones. Helmut speaks to a Brazilian vendor who shares how thunder-eggs from Rio Grande do Sul are said to carry the heartbeat...

Australia isn’t just famous for opals and gold—it’s also home to some of the world’s most underrated treasures: agates . Hidden deep within ancient volcanic flows and dry outback creek beds, these stones are nature’s silent storytellers, each one holding millions of years of geological drama inside their colorful bands. In this video, we explore the rich and wild world of Australian agates , from the legendary deposits in Queensland—like Agate Creek and Wave Hill—to lesser-known sites that yield fiery reds, vivid yellows, ghostly blues, and picture-like patterns you won’t believe are natural. These stones often display scenic landscapes, fortification bands, and striking color contrasts that make them true collector’s pieces. Whether tumbled, sliced, or raw, Aussie agates are tough to beat when it comes to variety and personality. Some resemble burning deserts at sunset; others look like frozen lightning. And every one of them has a story. But these agates aren’t just beautiful—they...

Banded like a jawbreaker, colored like a dream—Candy Agate from Malawi isn’t just beautiful, it’s unbelievable. In this video, we dive deep into the swirling world of one of Africa’s most colorful and rare agates. Is it natural? Is it real? And why do collectors around the world go wild for it? 🔍 Watch as we explore: 🌈 Stunning close-ups of Candy Agate 🛠️ How these vibrant stones are formed 📜 Local legends and rare finds 🌍 Why Malawi may be the world’s sweetest agate secret 👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment: Would you eat it if it were candy? 😄

Is Prince Albert any fun? Watch the video and see how colorful this sleepy town really is on a Saturday morning. We were just passing through on a big road trip. But we had to meassure the happiness level of this scenic town in the Karoo. We asked very serious questions but nobody took us serious. Questions such as the ghost arguing about sheep prices and the great apricot disaster of 1923. Church bells ringing after you ate your 3rd Koeksister and the like. But nobody took us serious. What do you say, were we unfairly treated? You will have to watch the video to answer this question. Was it a highlight of our trip? Defnitely, Our room was in a building that was 200 years old at Ta' Malas Cottage. That is some serious history right there. We can not recommend this place enough. The outside shower was a treat. We visited Prince Albert after passing over the Swartberg Pass from Oudtshoorn. You have to watch this video also. Join the channel and follow our exciting lives right h...

Why did the Afrikaners start this experiment and is it working? Recently Julius Malema marched to have the town closed. What exactly happens at Orania. Follow my video to see how it all works. I was impressed by what I saw. People are super friendly. Clean water. Secure, nobody locks up anything. They have all the services a working town needs. The only complaints were that it is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. People all greet one another. Will I go and stay there? Yes if I can sustain myself. Children walk in the street without the fear of being kidnapped. The town is crime free. Can a black person visst the town, yes they can but I believe they can not settle there. You have to be white and of the Christian religion. They also check your crime records. You also need to prove how you will sustain yourself. We stayed for two nights and would go back for follow up videos. I am having some lagging issues on this PC. I might make smaller videos with no lags. To show bette...

The allure of the gravel road that snakes around and through the beauty of the Western Cape hills and valleys has stolen the hearts of many. It is no surprise that it has been listed as a national monument. The epitaph of Thomas Bain, the route is littered with incredible, and sometimes whimsical names such as Small Fountain, Small Stall, White Corner and Devious Corner, which are almost as famous as the route itself. And of course, there is Die Top. The apex of the route. The Swartberg Pass stretches along 27km of untarred road and is considered one of the finest mountain passes in the world. At 23,8 km in length, it will take you approximately an hour to complete this drive, but it will be an hour of unequalled beauty. The dirt road is surprisingly easy to navigate and winds 1583 metres above sea level to the summit in jagged zigzags and sheer drops with breathtaking views as far as the eye can see. From the northern start at the crossing of the Dorpsrivier, the road traverses...