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The October 1954 issue was 6-1/2" x 9-3/4", unlike today's dimensions of 8-1/4" x 10-3/4". It was not until 1960 that the size changed for the first time. It was a bi-monthly magazine and the newsstand price was $0.50 per copy. In the October 1954 issue of the Lapidary Journal, John D. Altmann of the Australian Gem Trading Company explored the phenomenon of opal mining. With mounds of mullock, darkness, and solitude, history dictated that opal mining was more than a sacrifice; it often proved to be an effort in vain. We are referring to the quest to uncover the mystery of the Australian opal, one of the world's most coveted natural treasures. Glance back to the 19th century, where there was a rush in Australian opal mining. The White Cliffs Opal Mining Company controlled approximately 300 acres of opal country from 1898-1900. With Royal British backing, the company attempted in vain to control the mining of the precious gem. The whistle was blown on their inadequacies and "gross abuses of mining and mining laws," proved, in Altmann's opinion, that this was one industry best left to passion and a traditionally individual effort. The mining of the opal was coined a treacherous and trying act. The miner would have to lug his supplies far distances into the opal bearing country, which was a feat in itself. The essential equipment necessary for opal mining, as Altmann assesses, would consist of picks, shovels, hammers, cowhide buckets or oil drums for hauling up the excavated dirt, a rope, pliers or pinchers for snipping opal, and a portable windlass. In many places, water was very scarce and would have to be carried to the site. Many miners resorted to bicycles or hand-drawn vehicles to assist them, although many simply carried their supplies and reinforcements on their own backs for miles. The site of the opal excavation would transpire where potch or precious opal had been discovered near the surface in "floaters."
Precious opal is defined as opaline silica with a play of color, and although common opal may lack a play of color, it is still highly regarded by many. The opal was often found in horizontal layers in the sandstone, ranging from 1/16 of an inch to two inches in thickness, plunging in ribbons 3-10 meters down the prehistoric seabed. A hard band known as "the bandstone" or "the steel band" rests directly on top of the soft bed of "opal dirt." These beds of opal-bearing sandstone are called "opal levels," where precious opal may occur. In some areas, opal may not be found in seams at all, but rather in nodules or "nobbies" pockets that occur at irregular intervals. It is, however, no guarantee that precious opal may be found in these opal "potches." While the deed to trekking to opal country was extremely troublesome, it would prove to be far worse if, after a long journey, a miner fails to unearth any precious opal. This way of mining - sinking a shaft with just a pick and shovel - is the simplest form. A shaft is sunk vertically until the "opal dirt" is found. The miner would then branch out sideways, following the seam. The process of moving along the seam was carried out with explosives and picks. A handpick was then utilized to very carefully remove any precious opal. As time progressed, "Most mining was a two-man operation, one man in the hole and another up top to wind the windlass and haul out the dirt." One can imagine the elation a miner would feel when he was finally "on opal." It has been said that the miner would "hear the opal" before he would lay his eyes on it, due to the glass-gritting sound once a piece of opal or potch was pierced. Quite similar to the method in use today, miners of the mid-19th century would select a trusted fellow miner to value his find. The appraiser worked generally on commission, and so he would have the tendency to value the stones at a higher price than necessary. There was evident conspiracy, as many miners were murdered for their treasure once they surfaced and boasted to the rest of the camp. Soon, though, due to a combination of overmining and a lack of technological advancement, rough opal became a scarcity. Miners left the industry for "more lucrative types of employment," where there was greater stability. Another dilemma rested in the economic prosperity of Australia, and the negative effect it had on opal production. At the time, very few men felt it necessary to plunge into the "outback," amongst the great risks in prospect of elusive gemstones. This decline in production resulted in a sharp rise of opal value, while, ironically, 30-100 miles of opal country had not been touched by a miner's boot. As Altmann so effectively states, "After approximately 60 years of opal production in Australia, practically no advance in mining technique has been made. Some attempts were made to remove the overburden of the land with bulldozers and underground explosives to gain greater access to the opal seam," although "as most of the precious opal underlies the 'band' directly, this resulted in much shattering of opal." Opal remains an essential component to the continent's gross national product, as "Australia currently accounts for 95% of the world's natural opal production," according to the New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development. New South Wales alone, "earns greater than $6 billion in export revenue annually in mining and mineral processing." Quite fittingly, the treasured opal is Australia's national gemstone. More highlights from our archives coming next month from the November 1954 Lapidary Journal. |
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