Australia currently produces around 95 per cent of the world's precious opal and probably has most of the world’s major opal reserves.

La D de Dior pink gold with an Australian opal dial

Jacquie Aiche

'Noodling for opals' began in January 1915, when Jim Hutchison and his 14-year-old son William were in Coober Pedy fossicking for gold when they stumbled across an opal lying on the ground.

Margot McKinney