Shine with timeless Allure
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About Us
How We Got Here
Small Family Buisiness, developed from the love, admiration and passion of Australian Opal!
Hello My name is Martin, owner of "MD's Ozzie Opals UK" and this is my story;
It all began the same as alot of you reading this probably found your way into the exciting world of "Opal".
I had always had an underlying love for Australia and its many varied, beautiful and stunning natural environment's! So this Alongside my passion for precious metals and gemstones, led me to watch a well known TV show, of which most of you I'm sure will know "Outback Opal hunters" and after the first episode I was hooked and had fallen in love with Australian Opal, and the entire industry behind it facinated me. From the brave miners who mine this beautiful gem, risking life and limb to do so. Then onto the gem cutters who turn these humble stones into stunning works of art, then onto the jewelery shops and jewellers who bring these fabulous pieces of art into our hands.
So I saved some money and excitedly purchased my first "Rough Opal" parcel from Australia, and I was not dissapointed!. As even beneath the dirt and discoloured rubble, I could see this beautiful color staring back at me almost begging me to help bring it out into the world, So that is what I did!!I spent the next few months diligently researching everything I could to do with Opal, from the different types and patterns, to where it was mined and how I could get my hands on more!
Eventually I managed to find several sellers on social media outlets and started my journey into Opal.
I soon taught myself how to cut shape and polish these beautiful stones and quickly worked out that I loved turning these humble "Rough" rocks into beautiful stones! Which then in turn made me think about how I could turn this new found passion into a sustainable business for myself and provide for me and my young family.
So I then started an Opal group on Facebook "MD's Ozzie Opals UK" where I started holding (and continue to hold) live Opal Auctions weekly, offering up a whole host of opal from rough material to finished stones.
This group grew surprisingly fast and I became welcomed fully into the Opal communities both here in the uk and Australia which was an amazing feeling of success!
Which has now led us here, and due to the high demand and success, and to enable our continued growth and success we have made our own little slice of "Opal-topia" here on the interweb! to help bring more of what we love to you!
Australian Opal in all its many forms, from "rough rock" to "finished stones", "jewellery" and More!!!
Competitive Pricing
Shine with Timeless Allure
We here at "MD's Ozzie Opals" pride ourselves on our "competitive pricing" We feel it ensures transparency and fairness alike.
We strive to keep our prices as low and competitive as we can! Yet our product quality High!! Which in turn keeps these beautiful precious gems available to all!
Our Opal & Locations it is sourced
Coober Pedy Opal
Coober Pedy, a name whispered across the sun-scorched plains of South Australia, conjures visions of hidden treasures and iridescent hues. Let us delve into the opal-laden soil of this remarkable place.
Discovery and Origins: In "January 1915", a small group of prospectors named the "New Colorado Prospecting Syndicate" sought gold just south of Coober Pedy. - Their quest led them to a serendipitous discovery: "surface opal" found by a "15-year-old boy named William Hutchison". - Within eight days, the first opal claim was pegged.- The O'Neill brothers and Fred Blakeley soon arrived, pioneering opal mining in the region.- These early miners introduced the unique practice of living underground in "dugouts" due to the harsh conditions and lack of building materials.- The "Trans Continental Railway" completed in 1917 brought more people to the opal fields, including soldiers returning from World War I.- Coober Pedy's history is marked by boom-and-bust cycles, with sensational finds like that of "Tottie Bryant" in 1946 reigniting the rush to the fields.
Coober Pedy is the "White Opal Capital of the world", producing over 80% of the world's supply of White opals.- White opals, with their pale body tone and captivating play of colors (especially red and pink), grace the gemstone world.
Geological Origins: - Around "150 million years ago", Coober Pedy lay beneath an ancient ocean. - As the waters receded, "sandy silica minerals" flowed into rocky cracks and cavities, solidifying over time into the multi-colored gemstone we know as "opal"
In the sun-baked embrace of Coober Pedy, where dreams shimmer beneath the earth's surface, opals emerge—a testament to resilience, wonder, and the dance of light within ancient stones. 🌄🌟💎.
Lightning Ridge Opal
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales: This region is famous for producing "black opals" (stones with a dark gray to blue-black background). The play of color in these opals is truly mesmerizing.Certainly! Lightning Ridge is renowned for its mesmerizing black opals, which are considered some of the most valuable and sought-after gemstones in the world. Let's delve into the fascinating world of Lightning Ridge opals.
Black Opals from Lightning Ridge:
- These opals are characterized by their dark background and a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. The play of colors within these gems is truly captivating. - Lightning Ridge black opals are highly prized for their rarity and unique beauty.- The world's most valuable black opal, weighing 180 carats, was discovered in a dried-out seabed at Lightning Ridge in 1938. It was cut and polished into a smooth oval and named the "Aurora Australis" due to its resemblance to the mesmerizing southern lights.Opal Mining Fields: - The Lightning Ridge opal mining fields are synonymous with world-famous gem-quality black opals. - Unlike ordinary opals, black opals from this region contain trace elements of carbon and iron oxide, making them highly sought-after.
Whether you're an opal enthusiast or simply curious, Lightning Ridge is a gemstone lover's paradise! 🌟💎
Mintabie Opal
Mintabie Opal: A gemstone that whispers secrets of the ancient Australian outback, where fiery hues dance within the earth's embrace.
Origin and Location:
The name "Mintabie" resonates from the place where these opals are unearthed"Mintabie, Australia". Situated approximately "180 kilometers south of the Northern Territory border" and nearly "300 kilometers north of Coober Pedy", Mintabie is a land of hidden treasures.
Crystal Opals with Unique Contrasts:Mintabie opals are renowned for their "crystal clarity" and mesmerizing play of colors.These gems exhibit striking contrasts between fire and hue, creating captivating visual spectacles.Triplets crafted from Mintabie opals are particularly stunning.
Unlike many other opal-bearing regions in Australia, Mintabie's geology is distinct.These crystal opals are typically found in the "Lower Cretaceous bed" along the edge of the Great Artesian Basin.Their colors span a wide spectrum from opaque white to intense shades.The opals' unique play of color arises from countless "silica spheres" within the gemstone, reflecting diverse hues.Mining Mintabie opals can be challenging due to the ancient "Ordovician host rock", which predates the Cretaceous rock. - Modern miners employ heavy machinery, such as bulldozers, to extract these gems without causing damage.
Boulder Opal
Boulder opal, a gem that bridges the earthly and ethereal, emerges from the heart of ancient rocks. Let's delve into its captivating essence:
What Is Boulder Opal?- Boulder opal is a rock that cradles a delicate disk of "precious opal" within its natural host rock.- Imagine a skilled lapidary artist, studying this rock, deciding how to cut it to reveal the opal's hidden beauty.- The result? A gem that showcases full face-up color, rivaling even the most vibrant solid opals.- These treasures are often mined in "Winton, Queensland, Australia"
The Dance of Colors and Patterns:- Boulder opals exhibit a mesmerizing interplay of colors and patterns.- Picture thin seams and patches of precious opal nestled within their rocky matrix.- These gems can be cut in two ways:Natural Seams: Displaying opal exactly as it occurs within the host rock. The contrast between opal and the surrounding material can be striking. - Thin Opal Faces: Presenting a thin seam of precious opal as the gem's face, backed by its natural host rock.- Some consider "boulder opal" an ingenious way to utilize small opal seams that are too tiny for solid opals.
"Australia's Opal Treasure Trove":- "Australia" reigns as the world's most famous source of boulder opal.- Much of it resides within brown ironstone, adorned with streaks and patches of precious opal.These opals form in various ways:- Infilling fractures or cavities in fossils, concretions, and petrified wood.- Dancing within the cracks of ironstone, basalt, rhyolite, and other rocks.- The play of color like whispers from the Earth's depths makes each boulder opal unique.
Mystical and Healing Properties:- Boulder opal carries an aura of magic and mystery.- Some believe it enhances intuition, creativity, and emotional balance.- Its water content (up to 21%) connects it to the fluidity of emotions.- Wear it close, and perhaps you'll glimpse the ancient wisdom woven into its iridescent hues.
In the quiet of the outback, where time weaves stories into stones, boulder opals emerge—a testament to Earth's artistry and the dance of light and shadow. 🌏🌈💎
