Thursday Mar 11

Chronological History of Opal

320 BCTheophrastos1First literary record of Opal by Ancient Greek scholar Theophrastos 372-287BC

79 ADPliny the Elder describes Opal as a multi-coloured gem, he refers to Nonius' stone and paste imitations of Opal in his Historia Naturalis

1100 ADFirst commercial Opal mines Olbayana Hungary, now Czechoslovakia

1280 ADcrown_of_the_holy_roman_empireAlbertus Magnus exults the many virtues of the Orphanus Opal which was set into the Crown of the Holy Roman Emperors

1597In Dubnik Slovakia Emperor Rudolf II issues the first Opal mining lease

1840First discovery of Australian Opal at Angaston South Australia 80km NE of Adelaide by Professor Johann Menge did not prove to be commercial

1869Queensland’s first recorded Opal find at Listel Downs near Adavale

1871First Opal lease in Australia Pride of the Hills mine Toompine Queensland
1873 1886_Exhibition1Opal Miners Berkleman & Lambert attend London International Gem Exhibition
olympic_pole_vaulter_tatiana_grigorieva
Australian Olympic polevaulter
Tatianna Grigorieva parading an
Opal encrusted dress at the
2001 Opal Symposium held in
Coober Pedy S.A.
1889Light Opal discovered by Kangaroo hunters at White Cliffs NSW

1901Tully Wollaston takes Boulder & White Opal to the Empire Exhibition in London

1902newshaftBlack Opal found at Lightning Ridge NSW

1912 Opal proclaimed October birthstone by American National Association of Jewelers

1915The world’s largest Opal deposits, found at Coober Pedy South Australia

1930Andamooka, famous crystal Opal fields, discovered by boundary riders in SA

1930'sThe Fire Queen Opal stone is sold to J.D. Rockefeller fetching a record £75,000

 

 

Australia Post issued Opal Stamps on two occasions:

Firstly in 1974 an 8c stamp was part of a gemstone series.
stamps

Then in 1995 two denominations were issued depicting Australia's National Gemstone; a Light Opal $1.20 and a Black Opal $2.50 stamp, Boulder Opal featured on the cover of the Stamp pack.

 1995opal_issuemr

1990Opal industry reaches historical peak worth $500m to Australian economy

1993National_gemOpal proclaimed Australia’s National Gemstone

1999First Opal Symposium held at Lightning Ridge NSW, now a biennial event

2008Black Opal announced as the new Emblem of the State of New South Wales