If we say that the Australian gemstone opal should not be taken lightly. Australia has more deposits of minerals and gemstones than any other country in the world. The material has been discovered on other continents but our mining operations are relatively new compared to the rest of the world.
If you think Australia has diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and almost every little gem to choose opal to represent the country is very important.
Opal ring was first discovered and mined in the early 1800's and mainly by European miners who were financially poor but knew how to work hard and were able to withstand harsh physical conditions. They stop to get rich. Sometimes they do and live here in Australia.
So you might think that Australians of all ages and genders are very familiar with opals and know everything about them. Well, you would have to look in your mother's jewelry box for opals, would you? However, that is not the case at all.
Australians do not know much about opals at all. Most of them have never seen one. If I asked ten women in Sydney if they had opal in their jewelry box I would be surprised if one of them really did.
Why is this so? Opal is an Australian export market and simple. You will find thousands of beautiful opals in tourist jewelry stores in major Australian centers but the Aussies do not go looking for tourist shops because we are not tourists in our country.
Australian men have never worn the most traditional jewelry and gemstones ever on the agenda. It is changing now but slowly. Australian women also traditionally did not wear much jewelry in the past. Yes, our women hold the whole world and wear a lot of jewelry today, but is it too late for opal? I do not know the answer to that!
But one thing is for sure that the whole world loves our gem of the country and wears it freely in all kinds of opal jewelry: opal earrings, opal pendants, rings and bracelets.
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