This and That

This and that about opals and Lightning Ridge.

Lightning Ridge population?

The town of Lightning Ridge is quite unique. This is something you notice already as you drive into Lightning Ridge as the population sign has a question mark. This is because of the amount of people living in camps on the opal fields around Lightning Ridge. A lot of people who come to Lightning Ridge decide to live on an opal claim, because it is very cheap living and to avoid mainstream society and therefore they have'nt got a proper address. People come to Lightning Ridge because everyone has a chance to get rich, but most people find out the hard way how hard it is to find black opal. Many people leave Lightning Ridge again after spending all their money searching for balck opal and this is why there is a constant coming and going of people. That is why no one never realy knows how many people are living here.

Famous opals

Lightning Ridge black opals are absolutely magnificent gems. In the last 100 years many opals have been found. As all opals are different, never two the same.