Here at Opals Down Under, not only do we like to see our opals go to good homes, but we are also here to educate you on what an opal is, how opal is valued, where it is mined, and various other facts and figures to take in. If you still have any questions after reading through the information provided, please feel free to contact us.
FAQ : What is the history of opal? Are opals bad luck? Is opal bad luck? Why and when did superstition begin to surround opal? Opal... the Bad Luck Stone? For many years, the opal has tried to shake off rumours and wives tales…
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A guide to purchasing opals. FAQ : What to look for in an opal - What is a doublet? What is a triplet? How do I buy opals? What are the different types of opals? How can I get value for money when I'm buying an…
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Most common words are below: Agitator - or 'agi' for short; a modified cement mixer used to wash and tumble opal dirt. Usually set up adjacent to a dam for water supply. Amorphous - a word meaning "without form", applied to gems and minerals…
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FAQ : What is a doublet opal? What is a triplet opal? What is the difference between doublets, triplets, and solid opals? What happens when doublets or triplets get wet? Why do some opals go cloudy? How should I care for a doublet or triplet? One…
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Myth: Opals need to be soaked in water occasionally to prevent cracking. Fact: Australian Opal is non-porous and therefore impervious - it cannot soak up water, oil, or anything else. The water content in an opal is determined during the formation of the stone, with…
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FAQ: What is a boulder opal? What colour are boulder opals? Where are boulder opals mined? What is the value of a boulder opal? Appearance Australian Boulder opals are the second most valuable type of opal (following black opal). Boulder opals are easily distinguished by…
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FAQ: What is a white opal? What colour are white opals? Where are white opals mined? What is the value of a white opal? Appearance Also known as 'milk' or 'milky' opals, Australian white opals are distinguished by their pale white or light body tone,…
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FAQ: What is a crystal opal? What colour are crystal opals? Where are crystal opals mined? What is the value of a crystal opal? Appearance The term "crystal opal" refers to any kind of opal (i.e. black opal, white opal, semi-black opal) which has a…
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Also known as dark opal and grey opal, semi-black opal refers to opals which have a darker body tone than white opals, yet are not quite dark enough to be classified as black opals. The body tone of these stones falls in either the N5…
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FAQ: What is a black opal? What colour are black opals? Where are black opals mined? What makes a black opal black? What is a semi-black opal? How are black opals valued? How much is a black opal worth? Appearance Australian black opals are the…
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FAQ: Where can I find an opal engagement ring? Are opals suitable for engagement rings? Where can I find opal wedding rings? Australian opals, also known as "The Queen of Gems" are one of the most beautiful gemstones in the world. Opals display all the…
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FAQ: Are opals suitable for mens' rings? Do men wear opal rings? Are opals strong enough for a man's opal ring? Opals are one of the world's most amazing gemstones, and men all over the world are taking advantage of opal's striking colours to create…
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FAQ Where are the opal fields in Australia? Where are opals mined? Where is opal mined? Where is opal mining done? When was opal discovered? Although there are lots of opal mining towns in Australia there are four which have become household names - Coober…
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The home of Australian Black Opal FAQ Where are the opal fields in Australia? Where are black opals mined? Where are the Lightning Ridge opal fields? New South Wales produces the largest proportion of Australian opal in terms of value. Lightning Ridge is famous for…
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The home of Australian Boulder Opal Queensland produces boulder opal, an unique type of opal which is found attached to a host rock, ironstone. Boulder opal is unique to Queensland, and occurs in deposits in weathered sedimentary Cretaceous rocks in the west of the state. Much…
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The home of Australian White Opal South Australia, by weight would produce most of Australia's opal. Fields such Coober Pedy, Andamooka, Mintabie, and Lambina produce stunning White and Crystal Opals. Coober Pedy opal fields Coober Pedy produces the bulk of the world's white opal. The…
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FAQ : What is the history of opal / opals? Who discovered opals? When was opal first found? In a cave in Kenya, Louis Leakey, the famous anthropologist, uncovered the earliest known opal artifacts. Dating back to about 4000 B.C., they most likely came from…
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"Aurora Australis" (picture and information courtesy of Altmann & Cherny) The "Aurora Australis" was found in 1938 at Lightning Ridge and is considered the world's most valuable black opal. The oval, cut and polished stone has a harlequin pattern with dominant red, green and blue colors…
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FAQ : How is opal valued? What makes a good opal? What are the different patterns in opal? What faults can opal have that detract from its value? What is the play-of-colour? What should I look for in a good opal? How are opals valued?…
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FAQ : How is opal mining done? What is noodling? How are opals mined? How is opal mined? What is open-cut mining? How are opals processed? Opal is one of the few minerals which can be extracted economically by a miner working alone. The simplest…
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FAQ : What are opal fossils? Where are black opal fossils found? What does opalized / opalised mean? Lightning Ridge - Black Opal Fossils Only one place on Earth produces black opal fossils - Lightning Ridge in northern New South Wales, Australia. Lightning Ridge is…
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FAQ: Which is better, black opal or boulder opal? What is black opal? What is boulder opal? What is the difference between black opal and boulder opal? How are black opals valued? How are boulder opals valued? Black opal has long been the most prized…
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A new era for opal nomenclature Anthony Smallwood FGAA, GG Chairman, G.A.A. Opal Nomenclature Sub-committee Abstract Opal is a relatively common mineral species that is found in many locations world wide. For many years a reason for the spectacular phenomenon known as play-of-colour, as…
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Safety on the opal fields Australia produces over 90 per cent of the world's precious opal, and more than half comes from NSW opal fields. The major opal-producing areas in NSW are Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs. Visitors may fossick or "spec" for opal on…
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The following outside resources are available for download in PDF format and require Adobe Reader. To download a file, please right-click on the link and select 'Save Target As'. OPAL Mineral Information Leaflet - QLD Govt. Dept. of Mines & Energy - October 2000. Opal…
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The Geology of Opal FAQ : How is opal formed? / How are opals formed? What is the Great Artesian Basin? What is potch? What causes the formation of opal? A Simple Explanation Opal is formed from a solution of silicon dioxide and water. As…
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How to Cut and Polish Opal FAQ: How is opal cutting done? How do I cut rough opal? Where can I learn about cutting opals? How is opal polishing done? How can I polish an opal? Opal cutting and polishing is a very specialised skill. Rough…
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FAQ: What causes the colours in opal? How does opal get its colour? What is potch? Where do opals get their colours? What is the structure of opals? Why does opal have colour? The colour of an opal is a magnificent thing. Unlike any other…
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If you have seen our online opal catalogue, you will have noticed a number of categories used to describe and classify each stone. This system of offering detailed information about each stone is based on the Australian Opal Ebusiness Association's (AOEA) Opal Classification Standard, and…
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FAQ : How can I tell if an opal is real? What is Gilson opal? What are synthetic opals? How can I tell if an opal is synthetic? What is synthetic opal? How can I identify opals? Is my opal real? Synthetic Opal, Doublets &…
Read More >Just wanted to let you know that we got the pendant and it’s great thanks.
My long awaited jewels have arrived. They are stunning! I can’t stop staring at them from different angles to admire the rolling waves of different colors. The ring opal is so large it practically covers full width of my finger. And the pendant is so lovely, diamonds dress it up so well, love both settings. These are truly major pieces of jewelry – my husband’s B’day gift for me. I still regret that I did not have you guys set my black opal, your jeweler does an amazing job. Thank you all so so much!
We just wanted to give you some feedback about the pendant that you sent to J**** on our behalf. She absolutely loves it, and has told us that it is gorgeous, delicate and beautiful!!
The package arrived yesterday, and it is amazing!!!! Love the product and the personal treatment has been excellent!
Just wanted to say thank you for your outstanding customer service. Your assistance via chat was excellent, your willingness to help was greatly appreciated and delivery was super fast. We received our order today (next day) and it is perfect, we love it and we are very proud to give this to our overseas cousins to take back home.
I just wanted to email and say a huge ‘Thank You!’ for your excellent customer service and prompt delivery. I ordered yesterday afternoon and received the ear-rings this morning. We are ecstatic with the purchase and sure our departing colleague will love them as much as we do! I would not hesitate in recommending Opals Down Under to anyone. Thanks heaps!
The ring just arrived and it’s BETTER than our highest hopes. Fantastic selection and the setting is great. It doesn’t fit on the finger I expected, but lucky me, it fits on the other hand, so it’s all good!! I love it
I got the pendant today and I’m very happy with it!
Thank you very much!
I first discovered Opals Down Under while living in Santiago, Chile when a friend of mine purchased a set of gorgeous earrings. I was impressed by how easily it was to shop internationally with them. Back in the USA I made my own purchase. It arrived quickly and easily. The gorgeous earrings were just as they looked online. But in the end they didn’t work for me and I returned them for a full refund. Returning the item to Opals Down Under was easy and all communication with them has been wonderful. I certainly will be making another purchase with them soon!
Outstanding. Took the grandkids here for fossicking and well worth it. They can spend ages looking for various gemstones in 2 gravel pits and a sand pit. 1 pit is covered for all weather. On weekends the jeweller is not working but we were treated to an interesting talk and viewing of the opals by the Assistant Manager. My younger Granddaughter was not tall enough and an observant and helpful worker brought out a step stool for her. I was apologetic about the sunscreen she smeared all over the glass as she leaned on it but it was no problem to them. The grounds are nice I can imagine taking a picnic there. Would have to check if that is ok. Plenty of photo props for the kids and lush areas. Light refreshments are available with a coffee machine and cold drinks plus you can buy a packet of biscuits. You can buy plastic containers in two sizes and whatever gemstones fit in from the fossicking can be taken home. Children can dig out many then select the best ones. They can compare them against the chart provided to learn their names and try to find each one. I would advise parents to get a container for themselves. it is very tempting to get bossy about which rocks the kids should keep there are many beautiful samples. The rocks are tactile and interesting. You can wash them there but we saved it for the next day and got to wash and dry them and relive the fun over again. It is a very tactile experience. Plenty of affordable shop items for those who can’t stretch to an opal. (That was us ha ha). My Grandies were 11 and 5 and both loved it. I saw plenty of dads having a good dig too. Will definitely take them again. Staff were very welcoming and patient. An excellent outing. Next time I will take my parents and grandkids. It’s definitely a great intergenerational experience.
