Stephen said his ongoing opal journey takes him from Winton in the winter months to wholesaling with opal and jewellery shops around Australia in the summer months. I like all opal no matter where it is from.” “I even have some Mexican and some Ethiopian Opal. Stephen’s shop carries all kinds of opals including Queensland’s Boulder Opal, White Crystal Opal from Coober Pedy and Andamooka in South Australia, as well as Black Opal from Lightning Ridge in New South Wales. I think that memory pretty well hooked me, I got the fever, but it lay dormant for a few years!” “I found my first opal about three feet deep when I was about 16 years old. My family then sold the opal at the Kuranda markets through the 80s and 90s to visiting Australians, Americans, Japanese and other internationals. “My father was mining and buying opal off other miners. “I came out here to Winton as a kid on school holidays from the Atherton Tablelands,” he said. Second-generation opal miner and part-time jewellery designer Stephen Tasic said his family came to opal mining in the mid-1980s. Winton Opal Gems, Stephen Tasic Stephen Tasic’s Opal Journey The festival usually attracts hundreds of people, so it is wise to book your accommodation well in advance. This year, QBOA will hold a second Opal Festival in September, coinciding with Winton’s famous biannual Outback Festival. The Winton Opal Festival and Trade Show, which is open to the public, is the first event on the annual circuit for Australia’s eastern states, with shows in opal producing areas such as Winton, Yowa and Lightning Ridge. Stephen Tasic from Winton Opal Gems said visitors had the opportunity to liaise directly with miners, buyers and jewellers and even meet a genuine Outback Opal Hunter. The Queensland Boulder Opal Association organised a line-up of 10 speakers to talk about opal mining, mines compliance, cutting, designing, valuing opal, jewellery, and more. In July 2021, the Winton Opal Festival and Trade Show had everything for anyone interested in opal, Australia’s National Gemstone, and future years promise the same.
If you’ve ever fancied yourself striking it lucky on an Australian opal field but felt it was daunting, the annual Winton Opal Festival is your chance to get the lowdown on all things Boulder Opal. Fancy Hunting for Boulder Opal? Start at Winton
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