Where do Opals come from?
Opal has been mined worldwide; however, Australian Opal accounts for 96% of all commercial opal and is the main source of precious opal. Australian Opal is mined in many locations throughout New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. The main areas of production are Mintabie, Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Queensland. Most opal in Australia is found in Cretaceous rock with one exception; opal from the Mintabie area is found in Paleozoic rock. Australian Opal may form in vertical or horizontal seams in the sandstone as well as in fossilized formations. Because of the unique conditions under which australian opal is formed, it is nearly impossible to find two opals exactly the same. The History of Opals The ancient Romans first popularized opal. The Romans believed opal brought the owner good fortune and carried the gem as a good luck charm. The early opal of the Romans is thought to have been mined in a mountainous region of what is now Czechoslovakia. Precious opal w
