ORDINARY blokesGUIDE to OPAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Titles Page Numbers Introduction 1 Chapter One: The Rainbow Stone with a Personality 8 Chapter Two: Defining Terms used in connection with the opal industry 10 Chapter Three: Fossil Opal 27 Chapter Four: Where Opal is found in Australia 30 Chapter Five: Opal Mining & Fossicking 38 Chapter Six: Opal Cutting Machinery 47 Chapter Seven: Opal Cutting & Processing 53 Chapter Eight: Making Doublets and Triplets 73 Chapter Nine: Setting your Stones 79 Chapter Ten: Valuing your Stones 94 Chapter Eleven: Selling your Stones 101 Chapter 12: Additional Information 117

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal But imagine being able to cut away at a stone that has been lying in “ You’ve heard it the ground for untold thousands of years, and finding you’re very own said that the initial inside the rock, highlighted in precious sweetest sound opal…. Then, as if that’s not enough, you find you can hear is the another one with your wife’s initial too! Hard sound of your own to believe? Well, here they are …just to prove name, and I guess it. This unique opal matrix is found in the that applies to Koroit field near the town of in everyone, even an Western , Australia. ordinary bloke. “

Although I have compiled a certain amount of detailed definitions, this book is not written primarily as a technical guide. A lot of detailed information has already been written by people more qualified than myself, so I will leave that to the gemologists and the chemistry experts. The book is written with the ordinary person in mind, who does not really need to know a lot of technical data to learn how to cut, polish, and deal in opal.

I have however, given attention to basic terms that are associated with the stone and have tried to explain their meanings in everyday language so that you don’t have to keep looking up the dictionary to know what is meant.

I have tried to develop the subject logically, starting with terms associated with the stone. Sometimes you read a book on a subject, and by the time you get to the middle, you suddenly realize you just don’t get what it’s talking about.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 1 It’s like driving a car with no wheels. The car is where you sit, but the wheels take you to where you’re going. Such is the case with definitions. The understanding of terms associated with opal takes you on a journey of opal discovery. B u t y o u d o n ’ t necessarily have to know the technical structure of the tire, in order to embark on a journey.

F r o m a n understanding of r e l a t e d terminology, I have d e v e l o p e d t h e subject through a Figure 1 Figure 2 definition of the stone itself, where it i s m i n e d , t h e lapidary (opal cutting) machinery you need to work with it, how to set it, value it, and sell it.

The book also tackles the challenge of how to turn your hobby into a business, for, after all, there’s no point having a lot of stones decorating your workshop while the bills pile up.

Working from home is the dream of many a hobbyist and with today’s revolutionary communication systems, there’s no reason why your hard work and fun in the garage cannot be turned into cash. Cash that can not only pay bills but also buy more sophisticated equipment to make your hobby even more interesting.

And of course, even if you use your creations as gifts, it saves on buying gifts from shops, and that in itself means money.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 2 After all, that’s just what happened to most opal cutters and dealers like myself, and if I can do it, nearly anyone can. Have fun…..And keep in touch with [email protected] or go for a regular tour of the Australian Opal fields at: www.opalmine.com

So you are an ordinary “bloke” or “guy” or “gal” as the Americans would put it!! Maybe you’re not so ordinary. Maybe you know a lot more about the gem industry than I do. Maybe you are an expert opal cutter with years of experience. Whatever you are, it doesn’t really matter, the learning process never ends if you are open minded enough to recognize that fact.

After cutting opal for about 30 years, one day an old bloke walked into the Opal Miner’s Hut and said: “How do you “dop” an opal?” After a lengthy description of the traditional heated sealing wax method, he said, “That’s a bit of a long winded way of doing it!”

I swallowed my pride and listened to his simple suggestion. His idea revolutionized my thinking of this procedure and started my use of timber glues for dopping instead of epoxy. This in turn got me thinking about a more effective way of using water on wet and dry sandpaper for sanding. (More about that later)

“What is learned from an experience like that is that we don’t stop learning no matter how much we think we know about a subject. From my experience in life, the danger in being an “expert” is that you can become tunnel visioned in your approach to things.”

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 3 No matter how much experience one has had, there is always someone else who may disagree and have a better idea. If you have a better idea than I have expressed, please tell me. My ears are flapping!

And of course, there’s Hale Sweeny’s Internet Newsletter, “Lapidary Digest” ([email protected]) Hale runs this marvelous international question and answer show for rock hounds. A free service that shows there are still people in this world keen to be helpful. Rock Hounds (lapidary people), have a name for being helpful.

Having said that, I believe that what is needed to work the stone, and gain tremendous satisfaction out of producing a gem, is a little common sense and ability to work with your hands.

Most of us started off without the valuable experience recorded in this book or CD, so if you read it carefully, in just a short time, you should accomplish what it took me ten years and thousands of dollars worth of mistakes to find out. I must also state that I have more than one reason for writing this book. First, it’s the only book I have ever written or am likely to write, so it’s a good challenge.

Secondly it will hopefully make more people aware of this magnificent stone, and get much pleasure out of either cutting it, dealing in it, or both.

Thirdly it may encourage more people to buy it and help all the people including myself and the rest of the battling opal miners in Lightning Ridge and other fields to sell more opal.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 4 The more people know about opal, the more opal will be bought and sold. Then everyone will be making a better living. That is why the book or CD does not just tell you about opal itself, but later lets you know how other people feel about the stone and what you can do to turn it into a business.

You can only get a certain amount of help out of books. The rest is left up to practice. You have to experience the feeling of stones popping off “dop sticks” to learn how to avoid it.

If you want to give yourself a kick-start, why not join a lapidary club for a while? There’s probably one not far from you. The name should appear in your telephone directory under “Lapidary Clubs”. There could also be some person who has a bit of time on his or her hands who could give you some personalized tuition.

“Rockhounds” as they are called, are often an obliging bunch, particularly if you have a nice opal specimen that you could part with as a little payment. If you do this however, take this tip from a person who has had a lot to do with all sorts of gemstones apart from opal over the past thirty years.

If you want to become an opal expert, don’t get sidetracked into learning other lapidary arts such as faceting (Stones cut with multi-angled tables or facets like diamonds), at least until you master cab cutting. Faceting takes a lot more expensive equipment, is more difficult to learn, takes a lot of time (one stone could take a day to cut), and in most cases the efforts are not rewarded because the job is already being done very cheaply by large well organized factories using cheap Labor. With practice, you can cut an opal in a matter of minutes, particularly if you do them in larger amounts.

You could spend days perfecting a sapphire facet, only to find that you could buy the whole stone for a few dollars from someone importing from Thailand. To a degree, the same thing applies to cabochons, (dome topped stones) but the difference with opal is that much of the better quality rough from Lightning Ridge is offered on an individual basis to whoever has the money at the time the Miner Finds it, and whoever is willing to offer the best price.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 5 Some of the larger buyers, who can afford to just sit and wait for the miners, offer such low prices that Miners hesitate to sell it to them. Hence, the one who gets the rough, is often the luck of the draw. That means it is a more even playing field.

Opal is still very much a family orientated industry and the average person like you or I can still find a little niche in the industry and without too much effort, produce some very good quality gems either for personal apparel, as gifts, or for resale.

Another thing about cutting a cabochon is that it is a process that really just enhances the natural colors in a stone. Particularly in the case of opal, the play of color has already been completed by nature.

In the case of a white diamond, white sapphire, or white topaz for example, the play of color is developed by the application of facets. If it were not for interference by man, they would resemble common glass. It’s true that colored stones such as rubies and blue sapphires have bright colors but, unless they are party colored stones (such as some sapphires with yellow, blue, and green features) are just single colors. Cabochon cut opal is different. The color is already there. The cutter just shapes and polishes it.

In 1977 an old shop was turned into The Opal Miner’s Hut . In the last 20 years thousands of people from all over the world have visited, along with hundreds of opal miners and dealers on their way to and from the outback opal mines.

I guess everything we do from one minute to another, has either a dramatic or minimal effect on the way we view our life. ! Maybe this CD will affect the way you view life and give you an extra interest that will be satisfying, rewarding, and, hopefully, not too frustrating. Be patient as you experiment with the methods I have described. It takes time to learn, so be sure to have fun while you’re learning. Hope you enjoy the CD. Best wishes as you embark on a journey of opal discovery.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 6 !

Author: Peter J. Brusaschi

Creator of the “Opal Miner’s Hut” -Tweed Heads-Australia

Postal Address: P.O. Box 512. Coolangatta. Queensland 4225, Australia

E-mail: [email protected]

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 7 THE RAINBOW STONE WITH A PERSONALITY

Most people do not realize it but precious opal is comparable in price and is often more valuable than diamonds. And when you think of it, to the average person, if you’ve seen one diamond, you’ve seen the lot. They all look basically the same, apart from brilliance

However, Opal has a personality. There are stones which feature Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Orange, and so on.. Yet in each of these featured colors, you will find a subtle hint of other colors to complement them.

Most gemstones only come alive after they have been tampered with by men. Yet the opal will dazzle you in its natural state as it comes out of the ground. Some stones are left just as they are and set into jewellery. Others are shaped and polished so suite the taste of the owner, or the imagination of the cutter.

The uniqueness natural opal is that it is not just a rich man’s stone. While it is true that it may cost $30,000 or more to own one of the rarer stones such as the ‘Red Robin’ or the “Butterfly’, still the average person can share a small reflection of this glory for just a few dollars, and when the wearer is asked by a friend, “Is that a REAL OPAL?”, whether it cost $50 or $50,000, one can truthfully say, YES. Not so with diamonds or sapphires, or any other gemstone.

Not only do opals have a personality of their own but you can select the stone which you feel personally suits you. Your complexion. The type and color of clothing you prefer. Remember than even though the stone you buy may be one of the lesser expensive ones, there is no other stone in the world exactly the same as it. Oh yes, there maybe some similar but if you look at it carefully you should be able to recognise it among others.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 8 And if you want to be really adventurous you can go for boulder opal fun stones. These magnificent gems are often quite cheap. Ranging in price from around $20, to whatever you want to pay. They often have ironstone inclusions in their face, and all sorts of interesting, pictures and patterns are observed that make them even more unique than the average opal. These stones stimulate the artistic imagination of designers because they are usually not cut into traditional oval shapes but can be any shape that is decided upon by the cutter.

So...when deciding on YOUR opal, think about your own personality, and how you would like to express it in your jewelry. There is an opal with its own personality, waiting to be worn or designed by someone who will match it.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 9 Defining Terms used in CH connection with the opal industry 2

Note: There are quite a lot of differences between the Australian and American ways of spelling. I have opted in most cases to using the American, since most of my business is done in that country,. . and my word processor speaks American and keeps telling me that I've made a mistake…so I've decided to go along with it.

As I indicated before, for every suggestion made about gem cutting procedure, there will be someone who disagrees with it. If you think you've got a better suggestion, or would like to put your point of view, please take advantage of the chat program on the www.opalmine.com Internet site, or just send an e-mail to me (Peter): [email protected] I’m always open for new ideas or suggestions to pass on to the ever- increasing family of Gem Cutters, the world over.

Unless you understand the various terms associated with the movement of light, you will not understand how various opals are identified and put into different categories or groups. Sometimes, we use terms that we think we understand but when it comes down to definitions, we really do not.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 10 Terms often Definition: associated with opal

A translucent mineral of hydrated silica, often used as a gem. (This means you can quite often, but not always, see right into it) in the case of jelly opal, it almost becomes transparent.

Latin: ‘opalus’ to see a change in color.

a) Opalescence: Having a play or “show” of colors similar to an opal. b) Opaque: Not letting light through. Not transparent. Dense. c) Amorphous: Shapeless. Not consisting of crystals. Non crystalline. Glass is amorphous. Sugar is crystalline. d) Silica: Silicon Dioxide A hard, white or colorless substance, that in the form of quartz, enters in to the composition of many rocks, and is contained in sponges and certain plants. I’ve heard it said (but I haven’t checked), that the needle in the mouth of a female mosquito is made of silica. Flint, sand, chalcedony, and opal are examples of silica in different forms e) Hydrate: A c o m p o u n d produced when certain substances chemically combine with water. f) Translucent: Letting light t h ro u g h w i t h o u t b e i n g transparent. g) Transparent: Easily seen Figure 3 through. Like glass. h) Incandescent: Glowing with heat (red or white hot) as in a light bulb which glows white hot, but produces a light that more closely simulates natural sunlight which is more conducive to bringing out the natural colors in opal.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 11 i) Fluorescent: A light produced by the electrical stimulation of a gas or vapor. (I.e.. fluorescent lights which have a similar effect on opal as a bright cloudy day. Not so conducive to showing the colors in opal). j) Deflection: From ‘deflect’. (to turn aside, to bend) The bending of rays of light from a straight line. – Fig. 4 k) Diffraction: From ‘diffract’. (to break in pieces) A breaking up of a ray of light into either a series of l i g h t a n d d a r k bands, or into color l) Diffuse: To spread out so as to cover a larger space or surface. To scatter. m)Spectrum: (from ‘specere’ “to look at”. .hence “spectacles” or “inspect” The band of colors formed when a beam of white light passes through a prism, or by some other means. (e.g.. mist or spray, in the case of a rainbow) The full range of spectrum colors is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. n) Sphere: A round geometrical body whose surface is equally distant at all points from the cent

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 12 Lighting & Color

As an opal dealer, you will want to flatter your stones and present them in their best dress so as to speak. Use either ordinary incandescent lights, (such as a bed lamp or office lamp) floodlights, or if you want to keep the heat down, a 12v lighting system. Not fluorescent lights. (There are some exceptions to the rule. Some feel that some opals show up better in half-light or in fluorescent lights. This of course is a matter of opinion, but as a general rule, incandescent lights are recommended. Explaining the Color in Opal

Over a long period of time, there have been lots of theories about how this happens. Since the development of the electron microscope this suggestion has been made:

Precious opal is made up of tiny uniform spheres of transparent hard silica, which fit together in an orderly three-dimensional frame, sitting in a ‘bath’ of silica solution. It is the orderliness of the spheres (fig 6) that separates precious opal from common opal (fig 5). Light passes through the transparent spheres in a direct line, but when it hits the ‘bath’ of silica, it is bent and deflected at different angles, thus producing a rainbow effect.

Depending on the size of the spheres, varying colors of the spectrum will be diffracted.(see definition below) So it is a combination of deflection (bending) and diffraction (breaking up) of light rays that creates the color in opal. If you move the stone, the light will hit the spheres from different angles and bring about a change in color. (Which is what the name opal actually means.)

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 13 It is of interest to note that the size of the spheres has a bearing on the color produced. The smaller spheres bring out the blues, from one end of the spectrum. The larger spheres produce the reds from the other end. The more uniform the spheres are placed, the more intense, brilliant and defined will be the color.

Stephen Aracic expresses another theory, in the book “Discover Opals.” Stephen believes that the color comes from mineral staining between each layer of silica during its formation, producing different color films. The minerals that caused this staining were brought by water seepage.

Figure 5: Common Potch Figure 6: Precious Opal From Opals in SA- dept Mines From Opals in SA- dept Mines and Resources and Resources

Whatever is the real explanation, it is only for the sake of curiosity. The fact of the matter is that we don’t go around with electron microscopes glaring at opal. Our creator has given us two eyes well equipped to observe everything we need to see to be totally fascinated by this natural wonder. Although no doubt we would like to, we cannot get to see all the varieties that exist. Hopefully this CD will at least get us on the road to becoming more acquainted with these varieties and learn how to handle them.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 14 Definition: Opal

Pale Opal: All opals that are light in color without ! a dark background. Crystal, is high quality pale opal.

White Opal: Fig 7(right) Pale opal that is white- ish in color, which is not translucent. (See- through) – Sometimes called “milk” opal.

Crystal Opal: Fig. 8 (below right) Pale opal with brighter stronger colors that are translucent. (ie., you can see into the stone.)

Jelly Opal: Pale or dark opal that is like jelly.

Jelly Crystal: A cross between Jelly and Crystal opal.

Black Opal: Fig. 8 Opal with a pitch-black background, thus causing the foreground of the stone to have a darker and brighter appearance. Semi black opals, that are nearly black are often called “muggies.”

Figure 8

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 15 Semi Black Opal: Fig. 9 - Same family as black opal but with a grayer background. This can range from light Grey, to quite dark grey, coming into black. The darker the background directly beneath the color, the brighter and more defined is the foreground. Sometimes the back of a stone will look really black but if there is a lighter color bar in between the color face, and the black back, it can turn a black opal into a semi black.

Sunflash: - Fig. 10 - Black opal that is very dark with just a hint of color coming through as the stone is tilted back and forth.

Black Crystal: – Fig .11 - Black opal, usually without a black back, that is slightly translucent like crystal opal. The black, smokey background is right through the stone instead of just in the background like black opal.

Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11

Figure 12

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 16 Rough Opal: -Fig’s 12 (right) , Opal in its rough or uncut form. Coober Pedy Crystal Rough - Fig. 13

Rough Boulder Opal from the Quilpie fields. Stones have been split out of the large boulders and have a natural polished face - Fig. 14 Figure 13

Seam Opal from Sheepyards field near Lightning Ridge, which has been rubbed so as to expose the color. You can ask for rubs in preference to just rough. This way there is a lot less risk – Fig. 15

Seam Opal either from Coober Pedy or Mintabee in South Australia. Similar Figure 14 material is found in Lightning Ridge from Sheepyards and Carters Rush. - Fig. 16

Seam Opal: Often has a ‘flat-ish’ appearance in the rough usually found in horizontal ‘seams’ or lines in the opal dirt. It is not always flat. It often comes in lumps like ‘Nobby’ opal.

Color Bar: A line or bar of color going through the stone with potch on either side. Figure 15 This can be straight or bent, horizontal or vertical. (Term often used in connection with South Australian ‘Seam’ opal.) (See. Fig’s 16)

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 17 Grey Seam Opal. Fig. 17 Mainly potch with a little color, from the Lightning Ridge field. Some good stones and some potch for doublet backs.

Boulder Opal: (Fig. 18,) As the name suggests, this opal comes in fine seams or Figure 16 veins (Fig. 25 below) embedded in the boulders which are called (probably incorrectly) ironstone. (More likely hardened desert sandstone.) These boulders can be as small as a pebble or up to a meter thick and are usually smashed into subjection with SledgeHammer’s. A lot of opal is often destroyed in this process. Very large diamond saws are sometimes used if the color is obvious. But usually at least some hammering takes place to identify whether or not some color exists in the rock. Cutting Figure 17 boulder opal is a very muddy experience. Potch: Unformed Opal with no play of color or, a little color play (called potch & color). This can be white, grey,)

Fig. 18 (left) a parcel of boulder opal free form fun stones with some boulder matrix. The natural, “out of the earth “ look about these stones are a progressive designer’s Figure 18 dream.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 18 Fig. 19,20,21,22 Circular shaped black potch appearing on the face of a Lightning Ridge “nobby”. The other three examples are slices of black potch showing contrasting patterns. The second example is of semi translucent potch with a little blue opal color showing.

Figure 19, 20

Figure 22

Figure 21

Nobby Opal: Similar to ‘Seam’ opal, only that the stone is more random in shape and in its position in the opal dirt. It is often lumpy in shape and can come in fossil crustaceans, called ‘Chinaman’s Hats’ (because of their shape). – Fig 23

Figure 23

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 19 ! Nobbies Although most are made up of just black potch, they are highly sought after by the opal miner. Black Nobbies are the miner’s best indication of finding precious opal.

Fig. 24 When Nobbies are sliced in two, Figure 24 there is no telling what will be found inside. Some of the amazing shapes and patterns are in themselves curiosities, worth collecting, so look out for them, when slicing the colorless potch. You will find some interesting surprises. I just call this one, “The Well” ! Figure 25

Fig 25. A cuttlefish fossil of black potch with no color. Many mines only produce potch but it is always a welcome sign of the chance of opal appearing.

Figure 26

Fig. 26 (top) 5 classic split faces that were cleaved from the veins of the boulder opal

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 20 Fig. 27 - Opalized Shells are found mostly in Coober Pedy, but can be found in Lightning Ridge and other fields. Some of these shells can cost many thousands of dollars. Here is an example of one that has been set as a ring, surrounded by diamonds and rubies.

Figure 27

! ! ! Figure 28 Figure 29 Figure 30

Fig. 28 Natural Boulder Matrix from the Winton area.

Fig. 29 A tropical fish carved from solid boulder opal matrix from the Queensland fields.

Fig. 30– an unusually large slab of Winton Matrix that has remained intact.

Andamooka Matrix: (treated) A natural - Figure 31 porous stone containing mostly opal. A process of boiling it in sugar or glucose and sulphuric acid. Accentuates the color. The sugar soaks in to the porous rock and the acid turns the sugar into carbon, which of course turns the stone black, thus giving it a black opal

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 21 appearance. Fig. 31 (right) a large specimen featuring a strip of orange-red standing out against the green. Painted Lady: – Fig. 32 (left) A thin white- ish or crystal layer of opal color attached to a white or creamy colored rock found Figure 32 in Andamooka. It is possible to cut stones from it in a similar fashion to Queensland boulder opal but it is usually left as a specimen. In fact with a little imagination one could call it South Australia’s “boulder opal” without the stark colors familiar to boulder and the brown ironstone.

Pancakes: Found mainly in the Winton area. The name again is very descriptive. They are boulder opals, very flat-ish, often Figure 33 with very pretty bands of ironstone, and can achieve an excellent polish, similar to some nuts. The specimen left (Fig. 33) was cut from a Winton Pancake.

Yowah Nuts: As the name implies, these are found in ‘nutlike’ formations, as small as a pea to approximately fist size. They are really miniature boulder opals but are famous for their fascinating bands of ironstone with associated natural matrix opal. The most sought after these has a Figure 34 kernel of pure opal, but also in big demand by collectors is the unusual

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 22 patterns and pictures caused by the veins of opal in the ironstone. Fig. 34 is an example of conglomerate from Yowah Fig. 35 is a “Yowah Matrix”

Fig.36 from Black Gate near Yowah

Fig. 37 a piece from Koroit near Cunnamulla.

Fig. 38 A classic Yowah nut - With full color kernel. Most of these nuts have just holes or matrix centers. Finding one with color is a real bonus. Collectors treasure them because of their rarity.

Figure 36 Figure 35

Figure 37 Figure 38

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 23 Imperfections

Figure 39 a) Copi is a White-ish impurity in opal from the Lightning Ridge area. I have not seen it happen myself but I believe that it can grow inside the stone and destroy the color. b) Cobweb. Stringy cobweb like inclusions that take away from the quality of the stone c) Fire Opal. I’ve heard different definition for this term. Some say that it must be red and fire like, but depending on where you come from, the term is often applied to just any brilliant opal with a fiery look to it, whether it’s red, blue, yellow, orange or green. I suppose, when you look at real fire, you often see all those colors in it. d) Concrete. Fig. 38 Porous matrix from Andamooka. Typically pinfire in pattern. Often difficult to polish. Usually varnished. e) Ginger Whisker: Rusty marks in the opal, often along crack lines. f) Gypsum: An impurity in the opal like a needle. Sometimes travels right through the stone. g) Opalized wood: Old sticks, tree trunks, palm fonts, replaced by opal. The original shape is encased in clay, rots away, and the cavity is replaced by opal, either precious or potch. (The same thing happens with all sorts of other fossils.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 24 Opal Patterns

Here are just a few examples of patterns that have been identified, but it is only a small glimpse of the variations that could exist. There are an endless variety of patterns probably not even identified yet. Amazing stones that lie in some opal miner’s biscuit tin, which have never been seen by the public. I personally have had many of these stones put aside over a 20-year period and many are being shown for the first time on this CD.

Pinfire: The color can be very bright but not as showy as other patterns. It resembles tiny pinpricks across the face of the stone. Broad flash: (Also rolling flash) the color bounces back and forth in a wide angle across the stone. Whole sections of color appear and disappear.

Harlequin: Fig. 40 this is the most valuable and rarest opal pattern. The name came from the spangles of a Clown’s outfit. Well-defined separations show between the colors in square-ish patterns. The more perfect the distinctions of these squares and contrasts, the more valuable the harlequin. There are many variations to this pattern and a lot of unique descriptions have been offered. (Fish scale, Fan, Cartwheel, Flagstone)

Ribbon: Pattern is like ribbons or strips of color flashing across the Figure 40

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 25 face.

Rainbow Opal. As the name suggests, the color is arranged in the fashion of a rainbow.

Straw: Spindles of color criss-crossing just like grass or straw. A thinner version of this is often called “Grass Pattern”

Chinese Writing: Looks vaguely like Chinese characters. Some boulder picture stones have figures like this too but are not to be confused with the Chinese writing pattern in a black opal. (See graphics section at the end of the CD)

Moss Pattern: Similar to how moss forms on a rock.

Floral Pattern: Vaguely resembling foliage and flowers.

CloverLeaf: In the shape of a clover leaf (approximately)

Side Flash: When the color suddenly appears as you tilt the stone to one side, and then disappears entirely as you tilt it the other way.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 26 Fossil CH Opals 3

As the name implies, this type of opal can be opal replacements of bones, roots, animal claws or teeth. Many fossils are found in the Corcoran area of the Lightning Ridge field, but they are found in most fields.

Remnant or traces of organisms of a past geologic age, such as a skeleton or leaf imprint, embedded in the earth's crust.

!

Figure 41

Fig.41 - “Eric” the pliosaur part of the family of plesiosaurs but with a larger head, shorter neck and stronger jaws and teeth. Australia is the only country where these skeletons have been found opalized. Purchased from a miner in 1993 by public subscription, it is now on display in the Australian Museum.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 27 Fig. 42 Opalized Snails found in either Coober Pedy or Lightning Ridge

Fig. 43 Belemites: Fossil squid from Coober Pedy and Lightning Ridge, shown with a fossilized shell from the same mine at Lightning Ridge.

Pipe Opal: A tubular fossil from wood that has turned to opal.

Opal Shells: -Fig. 44 and 45 these are the most common fossils found on the fields. CooberPedy produced thousands of these out of the famous ‘Shell Patch’ field, but they are plentiful in the Lightning Ridge area as well. All these sea creatures in the desert are obvious signs of either a great flood or at least large inland oceans thousands of years ago.

! ! Figure 42 Figure 43 Figure 44

Figure 45

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 28 Coober Pedy is famous for it’s white opal and crystal opal shells. They are well sought after by collectors and the off-cuts make very bright solid opals and doublets. Sometimes they are backed with boulder opal ironstone and look for the world like solid boulder opals, unless you know what to look for. Always be careful when buying a boulder opal to make sure that it is not really a Coober Pedy shell with a boulder back. A slight prick with a sharp needle on the side of the stone where the ironstone meets the opal will indicate whether or not the back has been cemented on.

Figure 46, 47

Figure 48

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 29 Where Opal is CH found in Australia 4

Fig. 49 Map printed by permission of Frank Tyne formally of “Opal World”- , Qld. Frank is a well known musician and opal miner who has spent a lot of time in the Quilpie area. Triangles show main opal bearing areas in the continent.

Figure 49

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 30 Having said that, it is true that the three major fields all produce some light and dark opal. Even Queensland, which is famous for it’s boulder opal, also produces “Pipe” opal in association with the boulders.

Some Qld fields such as Duck Creek are known for crystal opal rather than boulder. Duck Creek produces beautiful crystal but is often hampered by inclusions that are quite a challenge to the cutter. Dental equipment is often needed to work these stones without too much waste.

Some boulders, with an exceptionally dark background, are referred to as black opals, which they are, but not in the same sense as Lightning Ridge black opals, which have a black potch [unformed opal], rather than ironstone back.

Here are some examples of the different types of opal

The “laminate” (bottom left) is actually crystal opal that looks like either a black or a boulder because it has been backed with a black base of either potch or boulder ironstone. (See “doublets” and “triplets” later)

Opal Fields As stated above, there are three major opal-producing areas in Australia. They are located in South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland. Opal has also been found in small quantities in Western Australia in the Coolgardie region, and Tintenbar, on the North Coast of NSW has a small quantity of jelly -crystal opal found in top soils of farming areas.

Opal in a crystallized form, in the middle of thundereggs has been found in the hills of Mullumbimby, also on the NSW north coast.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 31 South Australia: Coober Pedy, (and associated fields nearby) Andamooka, Mintabie.

Fig. 50 (below) Lightning Ridge and Associated fields nearby, plus larger fields away from the town - Corcoran, Sheepyards, Glengarry, Grawin, Carters Rush and Mehi. (From “Opals in NSW – Dept of Mineral Resources)

In recent years, since the discovery of the Coocoran fields, Lightning Ridge has expanded to such an extent, so as to rival the size of the Coober Pedy f i e l d , a n d a s i t always happens, when a new major “strike” is made, there is a migration of miners between the fields.

W h i t e C l i f f s , i n NSW, not far from the SA border, near Broken Hill, was the Figure 50 l a r g e s t o p a l Map of Lightning Ridge and Associated Opal fields. The mines around the Ridge itself are often named by their producing field in distance from town, i.e., “Third Mile” “Ten Mile” etc. - t h e w o r l d u n t i l Map: from dept of mines. NSW Coober Pedy and

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 32 Mintabee (to the north toward Alice Springs, Central Australia), were discovered.

Today, White cliffs is a small mining community that, from time to time, still produces excellent parcels of crystal. Many folks have given up city life to live in this outback community where, in recent years the government has done a lot of experimenting on the use of sola power in this town.

Like Yowah, in Queensland, many retired folks either live there or at least spend time there each year. Some have built luxury homes in old d u g o u t s . T h e y l i k e t h e community atmosphere far away from the rush of the city… and there is always the chance that they will find opal. Figure 51

Queensland: Quilpie, and associated fields - Eromanga and Bull Creek, Duck Creek, Coparella. Winton, and associated fields Kynuna, Opalton, Jundah and Yowah, and associated field - Black Gate. There are other smaller fields in these areas. Approximately 17 in all including the major areas.

Fig 51. This is Max a visitor from Germany at our mine at ‘The Sheepyards’ Lightning Ridge area. Of course many precious opal bearing boulders have been destroyed using this method but there seems to be no practical alternative other than to use very large diamond blades which are usually uneconomical.

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 33 In Queensland, mining is done m o r e w i t h a bulldozer than a p i c k . T h e overburden is first removed, ex p o s i n g t h e i r o n s t o n e boulders. The Figure 52 huge boulders are then usually attacked with a SledgeHammer before finishing the job with large diamond saws (below figures 53 and 54 – a boulder opal mine in Opalton, near Winton. Qld.)

Figure 53 Figure 54

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 34 Of course many precious opal bearing boulders has been destroyed using this method but there seems to be no practical alternative other than to use very large diamond blades which are usually uneconomical.

Where and how opal Miners live in the Australian Outback

Some say you haven’t experienced the outback if you haven’t sat near a fire of Gidgee coal. (Gidgee is an extremely hard wood found in these areas.) In the winter, the crisp clear nights with unbelievable skies, a “cuppa tea” and a good “yarn”(talk) cannot be matched in the city.

Fig. 55,56,57 Coober Pedy (SA) homes under the ground. Temperature remains constant (approx 23% Celsius), a lot cooler…than……living above.(40degrees)

The “Bore baths” at Lightning Ridge. Piping hot water pours out from the underground artesian basin. People from all over the world, come to this little spot for relief from Arthritic pain.

Hot water like this is available to large areas of the inland and there is nothing more refreshing than a dip in it on a chilly winter night. The best time to visit the opal mines is between April and September. Nice warm days and chilly but very pleasant nights.

Figure 55 Figure 56 - Tale Pit

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 35 Figure 57 - Another dugout sketched below. One third of the residents of the town live underground.

Figure 58 Figure 59 Figure 60 Another dugout Another good mate, House made of bottles - Lightning sketched below. Dave Keighley buying Ridge. A well known tourist One third of the at Lightning Ridge, attraction. Another “must” to see is residents of the 1996. Must have “Amigo’s castle” town live been cold, by the underground. look of the jumper

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 36 Figure 61 “Bottle Tree” There are genuine trees called by this name in Queensland, but this one is a little different. Some miner with a good sense of humour.

Figure 62 -The bore baths at Lightning Ridge

Figure 63 - Main St of Quilpie as it looked in the early part of the century

Ordinary Blokes Guide to Opal | Page 37