How to Find Black Opals
New South Wales, Australia and Virgin Valley, Nevada are the only two places where black opals can be found in the world. Luckily, mines in both areas allow members of the public to dig for opals themselves for a small fee and whatever they find they are allowed to keep. If you're looking to find your own black opals to turn into unique pieces of jewelry or sell at a profit your best bet is to visit one of these mines.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Rake
- Ice pick
- Small bucket
- Plastic container
- Ziplock bags
- Work gloves
- Water bottle
- Kneeling pad
- Water
- Sunscreen
- Protective clothing
Instructions
-
-
1
Visit an opal mine in either New South Wales, Australia or Virgin Valley, Nevada that allows the public to dig for opals and purchase a digging time slot. You will generally pay an amount per person, per day with the costs ranging from around $70 for a tailings area (digging through dirt that has been taken from the mines and moved to a safe location) to $180 for bank digging (digging in a pre-allotted space in the mine itself).
-
2
Set up your kneeling pad and equipment in the area you plan to dig for the black opals. Ensure that you are protected against the sun with high factor sunscreen, a hat, protective clothing and plenty of drinking water.
-
-
3
Put on your work gloves and use the shovel, rake or pick as appropriate to break up and search through the dirt.
-
4
Pour water into your bucket and add potentially valuable lumps to help break up the dirt.
-
5
Remove the collection from the bucket after your digging time and brush away any remaining dirt with your hands to see if you've found any black opals. Use your ice pick if the lumps are still encrusted in dirt to remove any gems from within it.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Plan your trip in advance, including accomodation in nearby campsites or hotels, to make the most of your opal hunting trip.
Visiting opal mines doesn't guarantee that you will find black opals.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit opal image by Stephanie Bandmann from Fotolia.com
