How are opals mined? ... Opal is one of the few minerals which can be extracted economically by a miner working alone. The simplest form of mining, carried out in the early days of opal mining, is by shaft sinking with a pick and shovel. A shaft is sunk straight down until some promising “opal dirt” is discovered.

Where is opal naturally found?

Opal is found around the world (Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and the western US) however Australia produces 95% of the world's precious opal and it is our official national gemstone.

How was the first opal found?

In a cave in Kenya, Louis Leakey, the famous anthropologist, uncovered the earliest known opal artifacts. Dating back to about 4000 B.C., they most likely came from Ethiopia. Historically, opal discoveries and mining progressed similarly to the ways diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire were produced.