Australia’s Opal fields produces over 90% of the worlds Opal and their uniqueness makes them a wanted commodity all over the world. While there are many different Opal fields in Australia the main ones are located in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Some of the bigger mining fields in Australia are Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Coober Pedy in South Australia, Yowah in Queensland and White Cliffs in New South Wales. Opal fields generally have one thing in common, they are all are located within the Great Artesian Basin which is where the big Opal deposits are and where mining for Opals has happened over the last 100 years. What is really interesting is that most Australian Opal fields produce a distinct type of Opal for that region.

New South Wales Opal Fields – Black & White Opals

The Opal fields in New South Wales are where you will find the most valuable Opal is the world, Black Opal. Lightning Ridge is famous for producing Black Opal the most valuable type of Opal, while the other main Opal filed in New South Wales, White Cliffs, funnily enough is known for producing White Opal or Crystal Opal.

Queensland Opal Fields – Boulder Opals

The Queensland Opal fields are where you will find the fascinating Boulder Opal. They are formed in deposits of weathered sedimentary Cretaceous rocks and you can only find Boulder Opal at the Queensland Opal fields making them unique to the state. Read more about the Queensland Opal Fields.

South Australia Opal Fields – White Opals

The largest volume of Australian Opal comes out of the South Australia Opal Fields each year. They produce White Opal and the biggest Opal fields in South Australia are Coober Pedy, Mintabie, Andamooka and Lambina.