At Minima we LOVE an opal. They are strange and beautiful stones. Unlike most gemstones, they don't sparkle or refract light in a predictable way. Instead they seem to hold colour inside and no two are ever quite alike.
Arab legend says they fell from the heavens in flashes of lightening. The Greeks believed they were formed from Zeus's tears. They have been mysterious and coveted throughout history.
Australia produces around 95% of the world's opals, and what makes them particularly interesting from a sourcing perspective is the way that they are mined. There are no massive open pit operations or multinational corporations running the show. Instead, most Australian opals come from small, independent miners working in remote outback towns like Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge and Winton.
These are often solo operators or small family teams, using relatively low tech equipment and working claims that have been passed down through generations. It's hard, unglamorous work in extreme conditions. But it's a world away from industrial scale mining with its heavy machinery, vast environmental footprint and murky supply chains.
This doesn't make opal mining perfect, of course. Mining of any kind disrupts the land. But when you buy an Australian opal, there's a reasonable chance you can trace it back to the individual who pulled it out of the ground. That kind of transparency is rare in the gemstone world, where stones often pass through multiple dealers across several countries before reaching a jeweller's bench.
I love working with opals because every single one is a surprise. They're delicate, they demand care, time and respect when setting them. You can't predict what colours will appear or how they'll play in the light, they ask you to slow down and really look. And knowing they've come from a small scale, traceable source makes them feel like an easier choice.
If you're considering an opal piece, look at our collection here