These pages are intended for your enjoyment and hope you will agree with us, that opals are one of the most beautiful gems in the world. We are located in North Texas. Thanks for your visit.

OPAL OASIS

The first opals discovered in Australia were found in 1849 in South Australia. The first opals with  play-of-colour were found in Victoria in 1863. The first black opal was found in Lightning Ridge in 1903. The rest of the story is wonderful discoveries since then. Precious opal was formed from silica rich water seeping into sub-soil cavities or hard clay layers, trapping the desolved silica, where it evaporated, forming microscopic spheres. A long, steady rate of seepage and evaporation produced  thousands of spheres of uniform size and shape, vital to the formation of precious opal. Light, reflecting from these uniform spheres produces the colour play we see in opals. Boulder opals are found in several areas of Australia, most coming from the Queensland area. Boulder opals were formed by silica rich water seeping into cracks in the Ironstone rock below, forming veins of precious opal in the Ironstone. The most valuable opals are black opal and boulder opal, the great  opals fetching $100,000 to $500,000 or more today.  Precious opal is found with several different patterns in the colour play. Here are a few of them.

Boulder opals are cut in every size and shape to preserve the best colour display. Some gem quality boulder opals are shown below.

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WE ARE OPAL OASIS

85cts, valued at $17,200

52cts, valued at $7,855

Below are some of the different opal colour patterns. Note: This Harequin pattern opal is the most famous ever discovered.

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Chinese Writing

Floral

Ribbon

Harlequin

Rolling Flash

Straw

Photos courtesy of Len Cram

A Little History

WELCOME

Please see our opal facts page for information on different types of opals.

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Take a look at our little opal miners, bronzed and working hard!

"This is opal - an indescribable mixture of spectral hues in everchanging display."- O'Leary

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