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History of Opals

History of Opals

About Opal - History and Introduction

Uses

Opals are used in jewellery and ornaments.

History                                                                                                           

Opal artefacts several thousands of years old have been discovered in East Africa. As early as 250 BC the Romans prized opals, thought to have come from mines in Eastern Europe, the ancient world's main source of opals. There are many aboriginal dreamtime stories that feature opal.

Australian opals discovered during the late 1800's found little favour with European markets but their commercial value increased in the 1900's and in 1932 Australia took over as the major producer of opals in the world and remains the largest producer to this day.

In 1915 a group of people were prospecting for gold at the edge of the Great Victoria Desert northwest of Adelaide. Making camp one night, a 14-year-old boy found an opal. This started an 'opal rush' and soon the settlement of the Stuart Range Opal Field was founded, better known now as Coober Pedy and together with Lightning Ridge in NSW, the bulk of the world's opal continues to be produced.

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14k, 925, 999, 9ct, Antique, Bacon Opal, bacon opal with inlay turquoise, Black Opal, Boulder Opal, Coober pedy opal, copper, Crystals, cuff, Custom, earrings, Estate, Fire Opal, Gemstones, Handmade, Lightning Ridge Opal, Made, matrix opal, Mintabie Opal, opal, Opals, Orange, pendants, pipe opal, Qld Boulder Opal, Rings, Sterling Silver, treasures, Vintage, Welo Opal, Yowah Opal -

Opal October Birthstone

Opal October Birthstone
Our Opal Collections is gradually growing with the addition of some boulder opal rings, Ethiopian Welo Opals and Orange Fire Opal earrings, pendants and cuff bracelets. We source our opals from Lightning Ridge NSW and Qld Boulder Opals, some are from our Estate Collection and we have some amazing Ethiopian Welo Opals and Orange Fire Opals. 

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