From Mine to Maker: Australian Boulder Opal

One of our favorite parts of making the unique creations for deJonghe Original Jewelry is finding the incredible gems and rare stones for each piece. We go to trade shows across the country, and meet with dealers across the world to find the right pieces for our clients. Recently, we traveled to Tuscon, Arizona, to source Australian Boulder Opals and other stones during the American Gem Trade Association's GemFair Tucson, one of the largest gem shows in the world. During our talks with opal dealers throughout the show, we found this stunning piece mined by Bill Kasso, aka BoulderOpalBill on Instagram. Kasso spends three months each year mining these amazing opals from Shaft Gully Mine, in Eromanga, Queensland. Boulder Opals are special in that the opal layer stays attached to ironstone rock, leading to unique coloring, striations, and shapes for this variant of October's birthstone. As designers, we like using boulder opals because they have a lot of character! Not only in their overall shapes, but within the stone itself. You have solid opal mixing in with the matrix of the host material. Because of this, we tend to believe that boulder opals are a bit more durable for daily wear. Our opal in the rough was found during a dig earlier this year. At first, only a slim sliver of color showed on the surface. But when our miner wedged a shovel into the vein, he was shocked to find this beautiful and unique specimen. With a coloration rarely seen, less than 20 finished stones were made. Designer Evan deJonghe chose this specific triangular stone because of its resemblance to the evening sky over the top of a mountain vista. Keep an eye out for an update as this stunning stone is turned into a pendant in the upcoming weeks! Most of our opal jewelry are set in yellow gold. The warm yellow glow of 18k or 22k highlights the bright colors of the opal. Many of our opal rings are set in 14k yellow gold and mixed with diamond or gemstone accents. We like picking up the colors of the opal with gemstones that accentuate their varied colors by placing them in line with the natural patterns of the opal in each piece. For more of our opal jewelry, check out the following: