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Learn about the discovery, production and classification of opal in Coober Pedy, the opal capital of the world. Find out how to mine, process and value opal, and what types of opal exist and how to identify them.
Discover our extensive range of Australian opal, including rough, cut & polished and specimens. Coober Pedy's finest crystal, white opals & semi-black opals. Shop & save!
- The Beginnings of Opal Mining in Coober Pedy
- The Underground Houses of Coober Pedy
- Early Mining Methods
- Modern Mining Methods
- Deciding How to Mine For Opals
- The Hazards of Opal Mining
- Personalities and Dreams
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Around 1915, a teenage boy whose father was gold prospecting discovered opal in Coober Pedy. Although the first opal claim was staked soon after, it took time before opal mining took off in the area. After WWI, returning soldiers, accustomed to living in trenches, drifted to the opal fields to seek their fortune. After WWII, a wave of Europeans lef...
Roughly 1,700 people live in town full-time, working at mining-related jobs. In order to avoid the punishing desert heat, many live in underground houses. Burrowed into hills, these houses require ceilings a minimum of 4 meters high to prevent collapse. Not surprisingly, many homeowners (or home diggers) have found opal while excavating. In the pas...
For the most part, a small number of miners worked together on opal-mining ventures, rather than large corporations. The earliest miners dug their 3 to 10-meter shafts by hand. In order to prevent the dusty, sun-baked soil from collapsing, they reinforced the walls with timber. They lowered themselves into the shafts with windlasses, then removed t...
Beginning in the 1970s, mechanized opal mining became prevalent. It usually involves advanced equipment such as Calweld drillsfor shaft digging and tunneling machines or front-end loaders for horizontal tunneling. Automatic bucket tippers or gigantic pipe vacuums transport the mullock excavated by machine or explosives. This soil is then either tra...
Mining always involves assessing investment versus payoff. Some solitary miners choose to start their enterprises small. For example, they lower themselves down abandoned mine shafts using cable cranks or rope ladders attached to their trucks. In contrast, miners who choose to use advanced methods can dig quickly. They can also dig test shafts befo...
Opal mining is a dangerous venture, especially for those working alone. Tunnels often don't have enough oxygen, and cave-ins may occur. Sudden storms can also flood them. Workers face extreme heat above ground and claustrophobia below ground. Furthermore, opals occur hidden in veins, pipes, or kernels within rock. Thus, miners can never tell where ...
Australia's opal fields abound with stories of spectacular finds and eccentric characters. Many miners left their past lives to seek peace (and opals) in Coober Pedy's stark terrain. Some had hectic professional careers. Others had a head start on eccentricity. For example, the colorful home of "Crocodile Harry,"one of Coober Pedy's must-see touris...
Learn how opal mining shaped the culture and economy of Coober Pedy, Australia, the world's largest producer of opal by mass. Discover the early and modern methods of opal mining, from hand digging to mechanized equipment, and the challenges and rewards of finding precious opals.
Enjoy the tour showcasing history of Coober Pedy, mining, and opal. Listen to the techniques of opal mining, noodling and black lighting. Live demonstration of a working Blower and Bosun Chair. Questions are welcomed and encouraged. Children have the opportunity for an opal hunt along the way.
Mar 3, 2016 · Approximately 70 percent of the world's opals come from the mining town of Coober Pedy in South Australia, where half of its population lives underground.
These are the first signs of Coober Pedy, an opal mining town with a population of around 2,500 people. Many of its little peaks are the waste soil from decades of mining, but they are also...
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Explore the captivating depths of history at Old Timers Mine, an extraordinary destination nestled in the heart of Coober Pedy, South Australia. Delve into the enchanting world of opals through our underground experience, featuring self-guided tours, opal noodling pits, and a mesmerising display of opal jewellery.
