Opal mines
There are many different opal fields in Australia. Most of the opal fields are in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
All of the opal fields produce white and crystal opal and only 2 opal fields produce black opal. Lightning Ridge and Mintabie have produced black opal.
All the opal found is in seam form in fissures or rock cavities. The only place in the world that produces nobby opal is Lightning Ridge.
Al of these opal mining fields are edging onto an ancient inland sea. The edges along the shores are where the opal is found, that is why we have a lot of fossil opal like shells, crustations and amphibians.
When looking for a good producing opal field you must make sure that you are prospecting on the edge of the ancient inland sea. These ridges that you will find on the edge will or should have opal-bearing levels. Ranging from 1 foot deep to under the water table which is about 150 feet below the surface.
Most old opal fields are moon like landscapes with pitted holes and mullock heaps scattered everywhere on the land. Some opal mines have been mined out leaving gaping holes in the ground or open cut mines bear to the sky.
Entering an opal field is a dangerous place to visit. The chance of the roof of a mine caving can be fatal. Also walking on the top of an old opal claim can be dangerous due to mine shafts and collapsing ground. A lot of opal fossickers can fossick these mullock heaps to find any opal left by the miner. This is best done just after the rain so the opal color can shine and be clean from the water because if you have ever held a rough piece of opal you would know that if you lick the opal you can see the color much easier.
Scattered around the opal fields are old mining equipment that has either been left to rot or is still in use. Some of the contraptions that people have tried to build to get opal dirt out of the ground are strange and creative machines.
Opal mining equipment gets put through some pretty rough treatment and breakdowns are common occurance, leaving the miner to earn some more money by getting a job just so they can repair their mining equipment and kep mining at a later date.
People live out on the opal fields on residential claims called camps. Most of the camps are made from corrugated iron, caravans or old buses. Only the people that have found enough opal to support their life have been able to build a house out in the middle of the mining fields.
The attractions around opal fields are opal mine tours and opal shops, and the odd building built by people with strange tendancies. Like bottle houses and castles. In Lightning Ridge we have all of the above and we also have hot artesian bore baths, which are great for the miner who has worked all day and needs something to relax there sore muscles.
Most opal miners’ work from autumn to spring. Summer time temperatures can get up to 50 degrees Celsius and put too much strain on the miner and his equipment. Making breakdowns much more frequent. Opal fields become quite bare and people are hrd to find out in the heat. In Coober Pedy most people live underground to escape the heat but in Lightning Ridge the ground is too soft and dangerous to build underground shelters. So most people leave for the summer.
This time is the time that ratters come in and look for opal in other peoples mines. A ratter is a person who illegally goes down someone else’s mine and looks for opal and this is an offence. The ratter will then try to sell the opal to an opal buyer in the town.
The opal fields are a wild and woolly place, not for the faint hearted. A holiday there is highly recommended but to live there, you have to be a special breed of person who likes to be alone and is happy with their own company.
The year of 1849 witnessed the birth of opal when it was discovered in near Adelaide, Australia. Australia possesses the majority of the opal pedigree but a minor proportion of opal is also found in countries like Brazil and the United States.
Australia has three main opal fields. The majority of opal is found in the regions of New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Opals such as white opals are found in parts of South Australia in Coober Pedy. Black opals are found in New South Wales. Boulder opals are found in Queensland.
The famous Lightning Ridge in the region of New South Wales engraves the most beautiful Black opals. Black opals were first found some 125 years ago. Secondly, White cliffs are regarded as the most celebrated commercial opal fields in the world. These are placed some 300 kilometers away from the Broken Hill. The first of opals were found in the late 1880s and had become the hub of the opal market. The opal resources in Queensland were found in the early 1870s when quality boulder opals were found in the parts of Thargomindah. Queensland has opals situated in Yowah, Jundah, Quilpie and Eromanga.
Opal mines has a better part of 45 kilometers in the world. Andamooka was described as the most enriched field as far as the opals are concerned (until Lightning ridge was founded). It is located in the south west of Coober Pedy, a place enriched with milky or white opals, and has to its credit to produce the most graceful opals the world have ever witnessed with opals of light, dark and crystals colors to name a few.
There are plenty of methods that are used for mining opals such as to sink a shaft down to the opal bearing level, open cut mining, noodling, puddling and rumbling depending of the culture followed in the places and the type of opals which is to be mined.
For more information on opal cutting or purchasing opal. Please email blackopalsdirect@live.com or you can call me on Skype My username is Blackopaldirect and it's free!
