The South Australian town of Coober Pedy is called the “Opal Capital of the World” for its rich history, unique local lifestyle, and abundant deposits of high-quality opal.

Around 95 percent of the world’s opal comes from Australia, and over half of that supply comes from Coober Pedy. Experts estimate that 70 to 80 percent of the world’s opals are specifically Coober Pedy opals.

Most of these Coober Pedy gems are white common opals — meaning no play-of-color like precious opals; however, the best precious white opals come from Coober Pedy and Andamooka.

FAQs

What does Coober Pedy mean?

European miners who settled in the area chose the name “Coober Pedy” in 1920. The story goes that the indigenous locals called the area kupa-piti which is often translated as “white man in a hole” or “boys’ waterhole” or even “whitefella’s hole [in the ground].”

What is special about Coober Pedy?

Coober Pedy is a fascinating anomaly. Despite being an opal mining hub, Coober Pedy is still a small, isolated town; Adelaide is the closest city at 466 miles (750 km) south.

At least half of the 1,000 to 3,000 population lives underground to escape the sweltering heat, which regularly reaches 126°F (52°C). This underground community includes homes, shops, hotels, and even churches.

How much opal does Coober Pedy produce?

The exact weight of Coober Pedy opal production is hard to estimate, but looking at the broader opal price per carat, Coober Pedy annually produces about $15 million AUD ($13.9 million USD) worth of opals. In terms of ratios, the region produces around 70 to 80 percent of the world’s opals.

Comparatively, Lightning Ridge is Australia’s largest producer by value — Lightning Ridge opal price-per-carat averages are higher — but Coober Pedy produces the highest volume of opals.

How deep do you dig for an opal?

Most Coober Pedy opals are found at 30 to 100 feet (10 to 30 meters) deep, dug up with various drills and machinery. The deepest Coober Pedy opal shafts are 85 to 100 feet (26 to 31 meters) underground.

Can you dig for opals in Coober Pedy?

You can! You’ll need permits and licenses for large-scale opal mining, but the area has plenty of areas where fossickers can rummage through mullock heaps to find small pieces of opal.

What opals are found in Coober Pedy?

The most common and most famous type of Coober Pedy opals are white opals and crystal opals. Other types found in the region include boulder opals and black opals.

Famous Coober Pedy opals include:

> Olympic Australis: A 17,250-carat, 99 percent gem white opal valued at over $2.5 million (meaning a $145 opal price per carat value)
> Virgin Rainbow: A stunning 72-carat black crystal opal valued over $1 million USD.
> Eric the Pliosaur: An opalized fossil of an Umoonasaurus (an extinct plesiosaur) nicknamed “Eric”

How is opal carat determined?

Carats are simply a unit of weight equal to 0.2 grams. Carat weight is one factor among many in valuing Coober Pedy opals. You’ll often see jumps in an opal’s price per carat for larger top-quality options, as larger opals tend to show flaws more so high quality is rarer.

What determines the price of opal?

Opal grading is more subjective than other gems. The main factors experts look at to determine an opal’s price per carat are the opal type, body tone, play-of-color, brightness, clarity, transparency, and shape. Other value factors include the country it came from, whether it’s solid or assembled (i.e. a doublet or triplet), and if it’s been treated.

What is the easiest way to find an opal?

If you don’t want to travel hundreds of miles to Coober Pedy, the easiest way to find high-quality Coober Pedy opal is from a reputable, experienced company firmly established in Australia.

Here at Opal Auctions, our rigorously vetted verified sellers offer a wide range of top-quality Coober Pedy opals, with opal price-per-carat ranges starting around $10 or lower. Our thousands of options range from affordable crystal opal parcels to one-of-a-kind carvings to the famed precious white Coober Pedy opals.

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