Lightning Ridge is a small mining town outside of New South Wales, Australia renowned for its black opal, which can sell for over $10,000 per carat. But even for an expert miner, finding high-quality ...

It's exactly 100 years since the teenage Willie Hutchinson stumbled across a few pieces of opal while walking in the Australian Outback. There with his father to prospect for gold, the youngster's ...

The world’s finest uncut opal, a 998-gram gem called the Fire of Australia, has gone on permanent public display for the first time since its discovery more than 60 years ago. Valued at more than $675 ...

German retailer Koroit Opal Company specializes in curating and selling Australian gemstones. Koroit is not just the company’s namesake but a well-known opal mining region in Queensland. It’s also the ...

"When I see the earth, my palms get itchy," says Trevor Berry. The Adelaide native first came to the largely subterranean town of Coober Pedy in South Australia's mineral-rich outback on a school trip ...

A giant opal that weighs nearly 12,000 carats received a six-figure bid at an auction in Anchorage, Alaska. The precious stone, which is split in two, was sold for $143,750 on Sunday by Alaska Premier ...

In the world of jewelry, opal inhabits a space reserved for few gems. It is classified as a “mineraloid” because it lacks crystal in its mineral makeup. It doesn’t sparkle or glitter, like most ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I am the founder of La Patiala, the luxury encyclopedia. Opals are some of the most unique gemstones on Earth. They range from ...

(CNN)-- A hunt for precious gemstones revealed the first fossil evidence of a dinosaur herd, including a previously undiscovered dinosaur species, in Australia. The new dinosaur fossil was found in an ...

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - After Deane Clee ventured to Coober Pedy in the Australian desert to run a church, he struggled to eke out a living until he found himself drawn to the outback town's main ...