|
Finding and buying an opal
|
|
|
Opal
is composed of fragile layers of silica and derives its colour from the refraction of light - characteristics that preclude the use of heavy mining machinery, as one false blow would break the matrix and destroy the colour. Deposits are patchy and located by trial and error: the last big strikes at Coober Pedy petered out in the 1970s and, though bits and pieces are still found - including an exceptional opalized fossil skeleton of a pliosaur (the reptilian equivalent of a seal) in 1983 - it's anybody's guess as to the location of other major seams (indeed, there may not be any at all). Because so much depends on luck, you'll hear little about mining technique and more about beating the system. For instance, it's now illegal to mine in town, but there's nothing to prevent "home extensions"; similarly, non-mining friends are often roped in to register claims and sidestep the "one per person" rule. Working another's claim (the "night shift") is a less honourable short cut.
Unless you're serious (in which case you'll have to pay $45 a year to the Mines Department for a Miner's Permit to peg your 50 x 50 metre claim), the easiest way to find something is by noodling over someone's diggings - ask the owner first. An area on the corner of Jewellers Shop and Umoona roads has been set aside as a safe area for tourists to poke about freely without danger of finding open mineshafts. Miners use ultraviolet lamps to separate opal from potch (worthless grey opal), so you're unlikely to find anything stunning - but look out for shell fossils and small chips.
The best time to
buy opal
is outside the tourist season, but don't expect wild bargains and don't deal through grizzled prospectors in the hotels unless you're very clued in. There are three categories:
cabochon
, a solid piece;
doublet
, a thin wafer mounted on a dark background to enhance the colour; and
triplet
, a doublet with quartz lens. While cabochons are most expensive and triplets least valuable, it takes some experience to price accurately within each category as size, clarity, strength of colour, brightness and personal aesthetics all contribute. With about fifty dealers in town, it's up to you to find the right stone; reputable sources give full written guarantees. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
|
Australia,
|