One of the most rewarding things about being creative director at Uberkate.com.au is the chance the travel and meet the characters who dig the earth of our beautiful country to uncover its many and varied gems.
Australian Opal has long fascinated me, and held a place in my heart as one the worlds most unique and mystical crystals. I recently had the chance the travel the to the Gold Coast to meet some miners and purchase my first ever "parcel" of rough opal.
To my untrained eye I could see the interesting bits of colour along the sides of the "material" mined in Lightening Ridge.. It was explained to me that some of the "rough parcel" was black opal, some white opal, some crystal, a few "nobbys" (nobs of opal that can reveal incredible colour) and some seam opal. I felt an incredible rush when I bought the small snap lock bag and quickly placed it inside my handbag! The potential was yet to be revealed and the adrenaline was firing.
For the next few weeks I dreamt opal... I saw the colours inside my head when i tried to go to sleep and I mentally obsessed about what to do with my precious parcel.
Our cutters also obsessed over that small parcel with me.. we discussed many options for the pieces and finally landed on a slightly unusual way for cutting opal. We started with the larger pieces and shaped the stone into our signature gemstone cut that we use for all our cocktail rings. A cut designed by and unique to us. We managed 10 magical gemstones from the larger pieces (we have kept them unset to work with our clients on customising the rings to their own designs).
We cut them into just over 1 carat faceted gems to set into our Gempower Stacker designs. (in both 9ct yellow gold, rose gold and sterling silver).
After cutting these beauties we were left with smaller parts of amazing material and in an ever increasing sensibility to be resourceful and "thoughtful" in our manufacturing, we recut and faceted these smaller stones to sit beautifully inside our Tear Drop Earrings and Circle Hoop Earrings.
We worked, cut, sanded, polished and set almost all parts of these beautiful parcel of Australian Opal and we are so proud to now launch our Limited Edition Australian Opal Collection them to you so you can own a little piece of Australia.
We will work with Opal again, we will continue to design and manufacture thoughtfully and craft what we source and bring you slow jewellery that has a story and will become part of your life story when you wear it...
Until next gem sourcing trip!
xx Kate