Australian Opal - the National Gemstone

From Australia to Russia

Opal is a precious gemstone. Australia produces over 90% of the world's supply of precious opal and 100% of the highest quality gems - the opal is Australia's finest gemstone!

When carefully cut and polished, the opal has been used from earliest antiquity to present day to make jewelry and craft art forms of significance - the most notable in the last century are Faberge's famous Easter eggs.

Precious opal is unique: no two opals are exactly the same. The colors and patterns are always changing, making the opal a gem of infinite beauty.  This play of color is due to the interference and diffraction of light passing through the minute silica spheres in the opal.

History of the Australian Opal

Opal comes form the Roman word "Opala" which is based on an ancient Indian word "Upola," meaning precious stone. The first discovery of Opal in Australia was made near Angaston (South Australia) by the German geologist Johannes Menge in 1849. The first production of Opal began at White Cliffs (New South Wales) in 1890.

In 1915, Willie Hutchinson, a member of group of gold prospectors, accidentally discovered an Australian opal in Coober Pedy, an outback area mid-way between Adelaide and Alice Springs.

Miners descended on the area as word of the massive quantities of opals spread and Coober Pedy quickly became known as the "Opal Capital of the World" - over 80% of the world's opals come from the underground mines in this region.

Australian Opal Mining Today

Mining opals is a hard, dangerous and expensive lifestyle. Consequently, much of the opal mining today is done by large syndicates with deep pockets and sophisticated machinery.

Solitary opal miners still work their mines, in search of an increasingly elusive Australian opal bonanza. Many of the area residents, however, have turned to tourism and offer their services to provide visitors with a taste of the thrill and excitement of striking it big.

The best finds from the mines are transformed into stunning Australian opal jewelry found in stores throughout Australia and worldwide. The most unusual brilliant colors and widest selections are only available through Australian jewelers.

Travel to Australian Opal Regions

The Outback's Underground

In the heart of South Australia's Outback, Coober Pedy is easily reached by a short flight from Adelaide or with a stop-over on The Ghan. This predominantly underground town (with drastic temperature extremes, underground homes provide the most efficient and economical way to live) has its roots as one of the largest frontier opal mining communities.

By adding a 2-night stay in Coober Pedy to your Australia vacation package, you'll have a chance to find your fortune by "noodling" in the opal mullock heaps (the waste brought up from the underground mines), visit a working mine, meet the characters who live in homes underground - you'll be surprised at how modern and updated their lifestyle is! - venture out to the Breakaways, with its unique and colorful landscape and rich Aboriginal history, and sleep in a dug-out style room in an underground hotel. Don't fret about going hungry or primitive conditions, the Australian cuisine in this outback town is fantastic and accommodations have all the creature comforts.

Golfing the Sandtrap

For an exceptionally quirky experience in this town that has adapted unusual measures to the harsh climate extremes, enjoy a round of golf on a course with no trees or water to mar your shots - the only obstacles are hills and rock piles. The Club House will provide you with a piece of astroturf to tee off; otherwise the entire course is essentially a sand trap. Play golf at night with glowing balls to escape the daytime heat while marveling at the wonders of human invention.

When black opal was discovered in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales in the early 1900s it was not considered valuable. Today, however, black opal is a highly-valued Australian opal and the rarest form of this gemstone.

Located almost 500 miles northwest of Sydney, Lightning Ridge is most easily accessed by motor coach, on a small group escorted tour, or by combining a short flight to Moree with a 2+ hour drive.

Share time with the locals. Accommodations range from charming B&Bs to miner's cabins to a Station on the outskirts of town that caters to local holidaymakers who enjoy sitting around the campfire after a hearty BBQ and sharing bush tales, long and short. Lightning Ridge is not a destination on the typical US-visitor "tourist trail."

For a sense of the authentic Australian Outback and a mining town filled with quirky things to do, include the home of black opals, Lightning Ridge, or the Outback's Underground, Coober Pedy, in your package tour Australia - call us at 1-888-825-4529 to begin planning your adventure.