The Opalized Fossils Of Lightning Ridge

November 1, 2024 7:23 AM

This fossil collector may have just hit the jackpot. The only question is whether to sell or save it. In a fossil-rich pocket of northern New South Wales, two pioneering palaeontologists have spent decades digging up rare relics of the past, striking deals with collectors and opal miners, and unlocking our understanding of deep geological history.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (5 comments total)

I love opal, but it is fragile. It also conti water. Don't put your opal jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner.
posted by Czjewel at 7:46 AM on November 1, 2024

I have always loved the beautiful colors of opals, and of course as a child I had my dinosaur phase. To know that those can intersect is absolutely wonderful!

It's encouraging to see miners willing to divert their finds to the museum/scientific community. Though there's money to be made from collectors, at least they're sending some items for study, with a proper record of where & when it came from. Baby steps, I guess.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:51 AM on November 1, 2024

Other opal sites also produce fossils including this amazing full pliosaur found in Coober Pedy and now in the Australian Museum.
posted by tavella at 1:40 PM on November 1, 2024

I had a custom brooch made for my spouse using a piece of “agatized” dinosaur bone. It was just a fragment, so you wouldn’t know what it is unless you knew what to look for but it is quite extraordinary.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 4:55 PM on November 1, 2024

Wow, these are incredible! Thanks so much for posting.
posted by goo at 3:51 PM on November 2, 2024