NEWSLETTER
Mine visit in June
Opal occurs in layers of 1 metre, down to around 30 metres underground, and is retrieved by basic tunnelling methods with pick and shovel and small machinery such as jackhammer and hand drill. Dynamite is used for blasting to access Opal producing areas. Each miner is permitted 2 claims, with a claim measuring 50x50 metres. This area costs around $150 per year, and the miner gets to keep whatever he finds.
There are no large companies or corporations controlling the Opal industry. The shaft are sunk using a 3-foot Auger drill, and then loose rough Opal is brought to the surface using a hand or hydraulic winch, or a blower – a large vacuum cleaner that dumps the rough Opal into a tip truck. The Opal is then “puddled”, or washed, to remove the loose sandstone and expose any potential colour.
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Around 1% of all Opal found is actually worth cutting. Most Opal is cut by hand, using Diamond tipped grinding and sanding wheels. Every cutter will have their individual preference for the wheel combination. Personally, I use 2 grinding wheels (120 & 220 grit), 2 sanding wheels (600 & 14,000 grit) and a felt polishing wheel, with cerium oxide (polish powder).
Rough Opal is cut by hand to about 80% complete, and then adhered to a Dopstick for easier cutting.