Coober Pedy Opal
17 July 2005 14:44![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
denCoober Pedy is an Aboriginal word that means "Man In A Hole."
People wonder why a bloke would put himself through the difficulties and hardships to mine opals by hand. This is why.
This one was bought by my Grandfather in the mid 60s, when a trip to Coober Pedy took seven days and Alice Springs was a 2 week expedition away. In those days it was quicker to sail to Darwin than it was to drive, and opals had very little value. This one is 25mm x 15mm. Mum wears it.
This isn't a black opal. They are only found at Lightning Ridge.
People wonder why a bloke would put himself through the difficulties and hardships to mine opals by hand. This is why.
This one was bought by my Grandfather in the mid 60s, when a trip to Coober Pedy took seven days and Alice Springs was a 2 week expedition away. In those days it was quicker to sail to Darwin than it was to drive, and opals had very little value. This one is 25mm x 15mm. Mum wears it.
This isn't a black opal. They are only found at Lightning Ridge.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 17 Jul 2005 08:50 (UTC)Kinda like this (http://photobucket.com/albums/v137/lostwanderfound/?action=view¤t=3-10.jpg), actually. Next to each of those piles of dirt is a 10-20' hole. It's like that for about ten kilometres on each side of town.