Opal mining is a risky business that has lured hordes of Greeks, Serbs, Croats, Italians, and Germans to build one of Australia's most multicultural outposts in the middle of the desert.

The town’s name comes from the Aboriginal phrase “kupa piti,” or, roughly, “white man’s hole.” After the first opal was found in the area just over 100 years ago, some of the earliest ...

While Mexico, Brazil, Honduras and the United States also have mines, Australia officially claims that "95% of the world's precious opals" come from its territory.

The remote town of Coober Pedy, Australia, is home to about 2,000 people, many of whom gravitated there to mine opal. The extreme climate of the Outback meant residents had to find creative ways ...

The show was a documentary about opal mining Down Under, starting his fascination with Australia. "I was 14 years old when I wrote to the Australian embassy in Paris to get documentation to ...

In a word: opal. Australia is home to a vast majority of the world’s commercial opal supply, ... an American who started mining opal in Coober Pedy in the early 1970s. ...

A rare, $675,000 opal has gone on display at the South Australian Museum, the first time it's being shown in public since its discovery in 1946.

Researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of a herd of dinosaurs in an opal mine in the Australian outback. The fossils were found in the mine near Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, and ...

Queensland: Opal mining. ... From cuddly companions to realistic native Australian wildlife, the range also includes puppets that move and feel like real animals. Shop Now. Sign up for the Australian ...