Queensland Boulder
Black Opal is unique to Queensland and is found encased within
ironstone boulders. When boulder opal is cut and polished the host
rock forms a natural backing for the polished stone in much the
same way as potch forms the backing for both black and white opal.
An important difference to note is that boulder opal is typically
freeform in shape and ranges in thickness from 0.5mm up to 25mm.
This gives the stone an elusive character with a colour intensity
that is often unmatched by opals found in southern states.
Boulder opal was first discovered in 1872 on
Listowel Downs, south of Blackall Station near Quilpie in western
Queensland. However, the first rush of roduction was short lived
as the onset of severe drought, followed by the devastation of World
War One, left the boulder opal fields all but deserted. Boulder
opal production did not begin again in earnest until the late 1960’s.
Boulder opal occurs in a 700 km long ‘belt’ stretching
from Winton in the north to Quilpie in the south west of Queensland.
Quilpie is a tiny outback township with a population of 747 and
centre of the opal mining industry. It was here that Quilpie Opals
was formed in the 1960’s.
The company’s founder, Des Burton, was
the local pharmacist in Quilpie and first started prospecting for
opal in 1967. In the 1970’s, he introduced modern open-cut
mining techniques which revolutionised opal mining and saw his fledgling
business advance to the forefront of growth in the industry, employing
over 40 staff in mining, cutting and polishing.
Today Quilpie Opals is regarded as one of the modern pioneers in
Australian opal mining, and is credited with the revitalization
of the world market for the beautiful boulder opal. |
Opal Seam
Opal sawing at the mine |
