Queensland Boulder Opal: What makes it so special?

QUEENSLAND Boulder Opal is treasured throughout the world because people love its unique beauty and deep colouration.

As the name ‘Boulder’ suggests, the colourful opal forms inside cracks and fissures within ironstone boulders.

The opal forms over millions of years from water containing silica-rich minerals having seeped from river currents or streams, resulting in a gemstone with “playful” colours that last forever.

To prepare these beautiful gemstones for jewellery, cutters divide the ironstone boulder, leaving the opal sitting on top of either side or just one side, before cutting and polishing.

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Why is it so valuable?

Queensland Boulder Opal is the rarest and expensive type of this natural gemstone.

The reason why it’s so valuable? Well, how about an intense mystical fire inside that has really popularised this gemstone for thousands of years.

It’s found only in one country on earth where you have an intense fire inside– Australia!

Opal miners have many places to explore in their search for Queensland Boulder Opal.

The primary fields include Winton, Quilpie, Opalton, Yowah, Eromanga and Cunnamulla.

A fine example could be worth even more than diamonds because of their popularity with people who love these fiery stones or those looking for something unique.

The natural iron base of Queensland Boulder Opal gives it stability and depth.

The varied shapes in which these gemstones occur make for interesting jewellery with vibrant, bold hues you can’t find anywhere else.

The value of Queensland Boulder Opal depends upon the colours in the gemstone.

A colourful specimen would be more expensive than a gem that has a few dull colours.

Likewise, a dark opal gem is more valuable than a light-shaded one.

The worth of the jewels follows an order. Red is the rarest and hence most valuable. It’s trailed by orange, green, blue, and purple.

Uses of opal

Many people believe all opal has magical powers. It is said that if you wear an opal on your neck or shoulders for protection from negative energy then nothing will go wrong that day.

Opal tends to have a calming effect on the inner soul; the varied colours in the stone represent changing emotions. It enhances personal actualisation and self-awareness.

Ancient Greeks and Romans particularly believed the stone to have special powers. They used it to improve their mental health and ward off evil spirits.

They also prized the gemstone because of its colourful display and variety of patterns, which range from fine lines to chic metropolitan “cityscapes”.

The stones themselves have been intricately carved into everything from jewellery pieces like earrings and necklaces to various household items such as kitchen tiles.

Boulder opal jewellery

Queensland Boulder Opal is a unique and beautiful gemstone that can make an excellent gift.

The contrasting colours add to the beauty of the jewellery piece, whether it’s a ring or a necklace— the play of colours in the stone expresses individuality.

Opal comes in all different colours, so you will find something perfect for anyone on your list, or to boost your own collection.

Here are some tips about caring for them:

Queensland Boulder Opal does not require much care, as the stone is relatively stable on its own. It remains unaffected by water.
It just needs cleaning with mild detergent and clean cloths to shine again once dry (or sometimes even polish).
Oils will also not damage these stones, but over time they may build-up, resulting in reduced clarity.
Opal jewellery shouldn’t be dropped onto a hard surface, for the gemstone might chip or crack. It is best to take off your rings before cleaning or any type of manual work.

PHOTO GALLERY: WINTON

FAST FACTS:

Opal is a gemstone that symbolises innocence and purity. It is said to promote peace, love, and hope
The birthstone of October, opal is also the stone that celebrates 14 years of marriage
In ancient times this stone was considered sacred by Romans who believed it had magical powers for healing skin conditions such as leprosy
Queensland’s Boulder Opal gets its name from the fact it is found in boulders
Opal comes in a variety of colours and shapes. There’s black opal, white opal crystal-like in appearance and jelly; other types include firey varieties like hyaline or honeyed ones from Lightning Ridge
Boulder Opal is found only in Queensland. Other opals are found in Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Ural Mountains (Russia), the United States, and India.

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Fancy Hunting for Boulder Opal? Start at Winton

IF YOU’VE ever fancied yourself striking it lucky on an Australian opal field but felt it was daunting, the annual Winton Opal Festival is your chance to get the lowdown on all things Boulder Opal.

In July 2021, the Winton Opal Festival and Trade Show had everything for anyone interested in opal, Australia’s National Gemstone, and future years promise the same.

The Queensland Boulder Opal Association organised a line-up of 10 speakers to talk about opal mining, mine compliance, cutting, designing, valuing opal, jewellery, and more.

Stephen Tasic from Winton Opal Gems said visitors had the opportunity to liaise directly with miners, buyers and jewellers and even meet a genuine Outback Opal Hunter.

The Winton Opal Festival and Trade Show, which is open to the public, is the first event on the annual circuit for Australia’s eastern states, with shows in opal-producing areas such as Winton, Yowa and Lightning Ridge.

This year, QBOA will hold a second Opal Festival in September, coinciding with Winton’s famous biannual Outback Festival.

The festival usually attracts hundreds of people, so it is wise to book your accommodation well in advance.

For more details, visit https://www.qboa.com.au/opalfestival/

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Stephen Tasic holds Boulder Opal at Winton Opal Gems.

Winton Opal Gems, Stephen Tasic

Stephen Tasic’s Opal Journey

Second-generation opal miner and part-time jewellery designer Stephen Tasic said his family came to opal mining in the mid-1980s.

“I came out here to Winton as a kid on school holidays from the Atherton Tablelands,” he said.

“My father was mining and buying opal from other miners. My family then sold the opal at the Kuranda markets through the 80s and 90s to visiting Australians, Americans, Japanese and other internationals.

“I found my first opal about three feet deep when I was about 16 years old. I think that memory pretty well hooked me, I got the fever, but it lay dormant for a few years!”

Stephen’s shop carries all kinds of opals, including Queensland’s Boulder Opal, White Crystal Opal from Coober Pedy and Andamooka in South Australia, as well as Black Opal from Lightning Ridge in New South Wales.

“I even have some Mexican and some Ethiopian Opal. I like all opal, no matter where it is from.”

Stephen said his ongoing opal journey takes him from Winton in the winter months to wholesaling with opal and jewellery shops around Australia in the summer months.

“Eight years ago, this journey led me to the biggest gem show in the world in Tucson, Arizona, selling and showcasing Australian opals to American designers. I’ve done many trips to the US in the past eight years.

“It has been an exciting journey. There is so much to learn, and there is a new challenge every day. It’s a constant learning curve from exploration to mining, cutting, wholesaling, designing and retailing.

“This isn’t like working a normal job, for me anyway. There are so many aspects to the opal industry that many people rarely realise.”

Boulder Opal Fossicking Tips

Stephen Tasic’s top tip on how to fossick for opal is: “Eat your carrots so you have good eyes!”

“You can go to Winton’s Waltzing Matilda Centre or the bush park at Opalton and pay for a permit to fossick at the designated fossicking area in Opalton. Then take a spray bottle and go for your life,” he said.

“When you pick up the stone and have a look, it pays to spray it with water to see the colour hidden in the boulder.

“We have a fossicking pit in front of our shop so we can show people what to look for.”

Stephen said some of the “gemmiest” opal was often inside the rock.

“It’s a fine gem line, like the one I found when I was 16 years old.

“That was the finest, smallest line, and I didn’t think much of it, but once cut, you could see it was a top gem. I wish I had it now. It would have appreciated.”

Opalton to Jundah Run

Some of the best Queensland opals come from the run between Opalton and Jundah, which is more than 200km long by 60km wide.

“This run is prolific for producing some of the best quality opals,” Stephen said.

“The trinity of Australian opals is the Boulder, Black and Crystal opals, and we get all of it out here on the Queensland fields.

“Over the years, Crystal Opal coming out of Opalton, 120km out of Winton, has been prolific in volume and quality.

“But out here we mainly get the beautifully patterned Boulder Opal, which can often be brighter, more durable and better value than other opals.

“It’s mostly open-cut mining out here. I’m not a fan of underground mining, but over 800 old-timers during the Opal Rush before World War I were digging underground at Opalton for the spectacular Crystal Opal.

“Outside of the hand-mining area, we use excavators, bulldozers and drills to search for the opal.

“There’s so much potential here. There’s so much still under the ground. The only issue is that there’s so much dirt with it that it comes down to the economics of it.

“You need to be a jack of all trades, an operator, a bush mechanic, and above all, very patient.

“But if the old-timers did it, why can’t we? We just have to spend the time out in the bush.”

PHOTO GALLERY: WINTON

Getting into the Opal Industry

Anyone interested in a career in the opal industry could start with doing apprenticeships in mining, as a machine operator, or in cutting opal, Stephen said.

“Opal mining is largely small-scale mining, and not all of us are doing it for the money.

“It’s more about small family businesses or partnerships than it is about full-scale industrial mining.

“It’s a passion, and about uncovering Australia’s National Gemstone and presenting it in the best light we can to the world.

“Ninety-five per cent of the world’s sedimentary opal comes from Australia. We’re pretty lucky with that.

“If this resource were in any other country, 100 per cent of our opal fields would be claimed, or pegged, and being worked.”

Valuing Boulder Opal

Stephen Tasic said the value of Boulder Opal was largely in the eye of the beholder.

“It often depends on what you’re attracted to, but a general guide, the brighter or darker the opal, the more colours it has, the bigger the stone, or the cleaner the face, the more valuable it is.

“Then, there is the trump card, which is its pattern. The rarity of the pattern can change an opal from $100 a carat to $1000 a carat.

“The rarer the pattern, the more desirable and valuable the opal is.”

Boulder Opals as investments

Stephen said buying Bounder Opal was a wonderful investment, not only for its appreciation value but also for sentimental value.

“We have what we call fun stones at the lower end of the market. Then there are picture stones, the commercial grade, and then the high grade.

“Then there’s the super-high investment grade, which rarely gets showcased in Australia.

“Super-high investment-grade opal is available in Winton, Lightning Ridge and Coober Pedy with certain dealers and shopkeepers. You just need to ask for it.

“It helps that you have done your research first and have a budget in mind when talking with an opal dealer or shopkeeper, but when you find that special piece, sometimes the budget goes out the window! ”

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Boulder Opal Jewellery

Boulder Opal, Winton Opal Gems, Necklace.

Having your opals made into jewellery is a popular way to showcase your stones.

“Our award-winning jeweller has worked with Opals for over 30 years,” Stephen said.

“He’s very experienced. There’s a real art to it.”

Stephen also designs some jewellery and enters annual design competitions.

“Every piece of opal has a story that can lend itself to its own special one-of-a-kind design.

“If someone has a special piece of opal jewellery they would like advice about, including how to look after it or have it valued, they’re welcome to bring it to our shop while they’re visiting Winton.”

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What Is Queensland Boulder Opal?