Setting the Benchmark for Guilt-Free Fine Jewellery

With sustainably mined Australian precious Opals

Consuming consciously is by no means a new concept. Most of us are educated on how to consume fashion in a more eco-friendly and sustainable way. However, when it comes to buying jewellery, many are still unsure of what qualifies as ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’.

As advocates of sustainable jewellery, we believe that we have a responsibility to educate our customers on the ethical practices that guide our business decisions and actions. The practices we follow go beyond the sustainability of the land we mine; they extend to the treatment of workers and the wider world in which we operate. We do no harm to people or animals at any stage of our mining or manufacturing process.

As a small local business, we mainly work with individuals or small groups of 2-5 people. Our close connection to every touchpoint allows for a transparent supply chain and better management of all of our operations. This intimate working style is characteristic of the grassroots style, Australian opal industry in general.

Our relationship with sustainability

As a traditional and conservative fine jewellery Maison, we take our connection to the earth seriously. We find meaning in our work, and this starts from the moment we dig into Australian soil and identify an opal rough deep within the ground. The rich history and storytelling that surrounds our precious opals add a unique layer to what we offer.

Our small-scale opal mining allows for an integrated ethical and sustainable approach – while resulting in minimal land damage. Where there is disruption to the land, we re-landscape and re-seed any disrupted vegetation with native seedlings. We actively rehabilitate to what we describe as the ‘gold standard’ of land rehabilitation.

Preserving the ecological balance and being in harmony with the Australian Outback is engrained in our brand DNA. Not only do we see it as our duty to mitigate any negative impact our mining operations have on the land and the environment, but we also strive to leave the land in an even better condition than when we found it.

Ethical Mining

We ensure strict health and safety regulations on the working conditions of our mines and the environmental restoration of our open-cut mines. In addition, we enjoy contributing to the local communities where our mines are located. We fund various raffle awards for children through the donation of opals and opal jewellery. We have also donated a fossicking site available 24 hours a day, next to the Jundah Museum. Anyone passing through can try their hand at opal hunting, often with wonderful results.

To help reduce our fossil fuel emissions, our solar panels enable our mining camp to run completely off-grid. In addition, we recycle all materials where possible, and we are proud to state that our camp is built entirely of recyclable materials.

Feel good about your sustainable style

We are demonstrably transparent of our gemstones’ origin and the conditions in which they are mined. If a precious opal has not been mined from one of our own mines, we provide guarantees of their ethical provenance. All of our opals remain untreated, unless stated otherwise.

We love that our sustainable jewellery transfers a unique and unmatched connection from Australian soil to its wearer. Once an opal has been mined from the ground, it is designed to bring lasting joy. At Opal Minded, we follow the philosophy of ‘quality over quantity’. Our buyers typically look for a piece of opal jewellery that they can treasure forever.

We believe offering lifetime guarantees with every opal jewellery piece we produce, attracts a more consciously-minded consumer. Investing in high-quality, sustainable fine jewellery and consuming less ‘fast jewellery’ will positively impact you as the wearer and the wider environment.

We stand for protecting the environment and strive always to tread lightly. We are continually educating ourselves on the most effective way to do this.

We adhere to the Jewellery Association of Australia (JAA) and National Council of Jewellery Valuers (NCJV) codes of ethics. Most importantly, we follow our own moral compass, a measure more powerful than any written code. As stated in our brand manifesto.