Crystals from Australia

Australia supplies the great majority of the world's precious opal. In Coober Pedy, South Australia, the heat is so intense that some residents live in homes dug underground; Lightning Ridge, in New South Wales, is the capital of black opal. Opal became the country's national gemstone in 1993.

In Western Australia, mookaite jasper is named after Mooka Creek in the Kennedy Ranges area, and owes its cream, mustard and burgundy tones to iron-rich sediments. The mining town of Broken Hill is known for its rhodonite crystals.

Opal holds water within its structure: it dislikes heat and sudden temperature changes, so keep it away from radiators. It is fairly soft (5.5 to 6.5). Mookaite jasper, harder, is a sturdy everyday stone: every bead has its own mix of colours.