Australia's "national stone", good luck or curse?

Source: Global Times

Opal is a transliteration of the English "Opal", also known as opal, is a hydrate of silica, no fixed shape, and the water content is generally 3% to 10%. At present, 90% of the world's opal is produced in Australia, which can be called Australia's "national stone". The Chinese in Australia refer to Opal as "Opal". Opal's varied forms and dazzling brilliance win the love of jewelers and gem lovers alike. Australia's opal is a diverse and exquisite collection, the most famous of which are black opal in New South Wales, white opal in South Australia and gravel opal in Queensland.

Black opal is the most popular

Rich in dark carbon and iron oxide, black opal is recognized as the most popular opal in the world. The "Lightning Ridge" in New South Wales was once synonymous with Australian opal because of its production of the darkest and most expensive black opal. Lightning Ridge is located 720 kilometres north of Sydney and currently has about 3,000 permanent residents. The main job of the local residents is opal mining and tourism services. Lightning Ridge attracts nearly 100,000 visitors each year, most of whom come in search of treasure in the name of Muhei Opal. Here, opal shops and related souvenir shops are lined up. In the lightning ridge visitor center, the earliest opal mining dates back to 1901, and since then it has been the production area of the highest quality black opal. Every year in July, Lightning Ridge hosts the World Opal and Gem Expo, and in September and October, the Opal Festival is held.

South Australia is the main producer of white opal, and more than half of the world's white opals come from here. 750 kilometres north of Adelaide, there is a small town called Coober Pedy, known as the "White Opal Sanctuary". Don't look at the colorful opal, but the opal mine is in a desert. Located in the desert on the edge of the Stewart Mountains, The Kuberpets have low rainfall and poor land. In 1916, a 14-year-old boy discovered Opal, and a boom in the mining of opal mines followed. After the end of the First World War, a large number of miners poured into the area, and gradually built the area into the main mining area of White Opal.

Find the opal that suits you

During the reporter's visit to Opal in Australia, he found that the opal produced by different mining areas was different. Near the Central Market in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, there are more than a dozen opal franchises, most of which are old shops that have been in business for more than 50 years. In a shop specializing in White Opal in South Australia, the owner converted the basement floor into a private museum, completely recreating the mining scene of the Opal Mine and showing the appearance of unprocessed opal rough in the rock formation. The owner also carefully arranged the miners' dummies and mining tools, allowing people to witness the hard work of opal miners more than 100 years ago.

The market price of opal varies greatly depending on the variety, color and size. Ordinary green opal costs between a few tens and hundreds of Australian dollars (1 Australian dollar is about 4.7 yuan). Expensive black opal prices can range from $6,000 to $10,000 per carat. Rare tubular rough opals have fetched nearly a million Australian dollars at auction. The reporter learned in the exchange with the opal shop owner that the expensive opal is not necessarily suitable for all customers. Conscientious shopkeepers usually first understand the needs and price points of customers, and recommend opals with suitable colors and reasonable prices. Also, consider the aesthetics of opal pairing with precious metals such as platinum, gold and silver to make jewelry. As one shopkeeper told reporters, everyone has their own opal.

In 1840, the German geologist Professor Manch first discovered opal in Angallston, 80 kilometers north of Adelaide, thus opening the history of opal mining in Australia. In 1871, the first registered and licensed opal mine in Australian history was built in the small town of Quilpai, known as the "Proud Mountains".

The legend of the "Cupid Stone"

The enchanting colors of opal inspire the artist's fantasies and the connoisseur's enthusiasm. The term "opal" originated in ancient Greek, when it was believed that opal gave its owner the power to predict the future. Opal is often mentioned in historical sources of the Roman era and the Renaissance, and rarely appears in medieval literary works. Opal was revered in ancient Roman times and was considered a sacred stone and expensive. The ancient Romans believed that opal symbolized a rainbow and would bring people a better future. The clear surface of opal is a metaphor for pure love, so it is also called "Cupid Stone". Caesar gave Opal to his wife as a gift of good luck, hope, and purity. It is also believed that opal has magical powers, and the owner can see the endless possibilities of the future. In Arabic legend, it is believed that lightning in the sky can be felt through opal. Opal, also known as the October Birthstone, stands for "jewel of sadness". Opal has also been given different therapeutic properties, which are thought to treat vision problems, make people invisible, and even make childbirth easier.

However, in the Middle Ages, people believed that the power and disease of sin came from colored stones, and opal was infected with "unlucky" meaning. In the 11th century, Bishop Malbode of Rennes, France, described Opal this way: "The patron saint of thieves, giving thieves a keen vision in the dark clouds of night, but blocking the eyes of others." "Blame Opal for its sinful spirituality and call it a talisman for thieves, spies, and robbers." Legend has it that King Louis VI of France once cut off the goldsmith's hand when a royal goldsmith damaged an expensive opal. Since then, the craftsmen have blamed the misfortune on Opal.

Opal often appears in classical European literature, including Shakespeare, Scott, Guillaume and other writers who mention opal in their works. Scott's best-selling novel St. Anne of Gilstein, published in 1829, associates opal with bad luck, and when the heroine taps the holy water, the opal on her chest loses its color and eventually dies. Over the next 20 years, opal sales plummeted by more than 50 percent. Later, gemologists have justified opal's name, believing that opal discoloration is precisely a reminder to the owner to prevent poisoning. Of course, at the beginning of the 20th century, there was no shortage of diamond merchants who, in order to eliminate the threat of opal to the diamond business, exaggerated the rumor that opal was connected with bad luck, and defended their own interests.

The lifestyle of the "old cannon"

Drive through Australia's vast interior, often passing by the mining towns of The Dark. These towns, which had a glorious past during the "Gold Rush", are no longer glamorous. Opal's mining model is very different from the large-scale operation of gold or iron ore mines, and is more like a way of life left over from early European immigrants. One opal mine owner interviewed by the reporter is already the third generation of opal miners in the family. In the small town of Opalton, the mine owner still maintains the mining pattern of a hundred years ago, facing the fire-like sun, the mine owner and his guys together, drive their own excavator to cut the rock formations on the mine, and then use a small hammer to sort the opal ore in the broken rock.

In 1888, Craig, a breeder from Warrnambool, discovered high-quality opal in Opalton. During the bustling period, there were more than 600 opal miners in the area. Opalton's fame comes from the largest tubular opal mined in 1899, which is said to be more than 3 meters long and as thick as the legs of an adult male. In the 21st century, young people yearn for the prosperity of big cities, and the local permanent population has dropped to only a few dozen people. However, all that remains are the "old guns" who mine opal, who no longer see opal as an opportunity to make a fortune, but a lifelong lifestyle. Opal jewelers from Brisbane and Sydney often visited the area, where old friends met and mine owners took out new discoveries and took what they needed. Many mine owners have "old goods" that have been treasured for years or even decades, and they will only sell when they encounter buyers who are "knowledgeable" and "knowledgeable".