My Story

I would like to tell you a story…    My earliest recollection of playing with Rocks is about Christmas 1973 as a ten year old girl who had just received a “Box of Rocks” (not just your garden variety) but a wonderful collection of ‘Shiny, pretty, sand pitted and sometimes ugly rock from all over the world. I loved this Gift from Santa and played with them for many years.

My darling mum's words still ring in my ears, “Tracie how many times have I told you not to put the rocks in your pockets”, they upset the washing machine.  Secretly I loved it as they always came out clean and shiny.

I had many favourites but it wasn’t until I was playing with my sisters in our grandmother's Jewellery box one day, that I  discovered an old Rose Gold ring with a cracked stone set in the band.  To me it was the most beautiful stone I had ever seen.  Even now when I think about that day I still smile and remember her beautiful old frail hands offering me this precious stone ring.  Nan told me it was worn by a Royal Lady once.  Nan’s then boyfriend gave it to her as a gift and she treasured it  for many years.  Can you imagine my excitement when she told me I could keep it.  Not only did she give me the gift of that precious ring but planted the seed with my love affair of the Lightning Ridge Black Opal.

I don't believe in luck. What I do believe is,  there are never any accidents in life,  things happen for a reason.

So a few years ago I had the yearning to visit lightning Ridge, a beautiful part of Australia, that when we were growing up had visited  on many occasions with Dad and Mum.  Dad loved the Ridge area and as a young shearer had many great stories of his days in the sheds, shearing for many families.  Dad later went on to become a Grain haulage Owner and again returned to many farms out that way in his truck.  So I guess as my love of Opals and wanting to know more of Dad’s early life as a shearer grew,  I talked my very patient and understanding Husband Donny into taking me for a drive.  This is where my story takes a turn…..

Meeting a local legend John Darcy (left) and my beautiful husband Donny (right).

It was a life changing day at the Ridge with a chance meeting of a Lightning Ridge miner named John Darcy or ( Darce ) as he is affectionately known amongst the locals.   We had just arrived in town and needed a coffee so after  noticing a beautiful coffee shop (Morillas Cafe) on the edge of town we ordered and sat down to wait.  I was looking at the town map when a voice from the next table said “you new in town” and I smiled and said “yes” is it that obvious, and he sent me the biggest smile and replied “yes because you have the map upside down”.  Laughing and picking up his cuppa (always hot chocolate) he came and sat down with his hand out and introduced himself as John Darcy.   Donny and I instantly liked him.  Have you ever had that thought of meeting someone and feeling as you have known them all your life, well that's how our friendship began.  Two farmers from Mullaley, (I also had a clothing boutique for 20 years in Gunnedah where we designed and manufactured women's clothing) and a very well respected and loved local opal miner  became the best of friends.  We talked all morning about Opals and our life on the land and how his life had brought him to Lightning Ridge in the 80’s as a young adventurer looking for something different.  John was a successful business owner but wanted a less stressful life.  40 odd years later John still says it was the best decision he ever made, I tell him it was meeting his lovely wife Trish… he agrees.

We have many road trips back and forth to the ridge, my second home, where we mine with the boys down the hole in the ground, searching for that beautiful flash in the wall.  Sometimes we find it, sometimes we don’t, but you never stop looking.  The locals say once you’ve licked the opal you're hooked.  I smile when I hear this as I am truly in love with this beautiful, untouched Australian treasure.  The excitement of cutting a rough piece and seeing for the first time in millions of years a perfect flash of colour, is the magic for me.

My hobby has grown into a small business where I cut and clean these precious natural stones.  I love the feeling of bringing a stone to life.... giving it a story.  The black Opal from Lightning Ridge is like no other, these precious Opals are the rarest gems in the world, no two are ever the same.  Learning to read the Opal, letting it guide you to how best bring out its beauty, is the best part of my jewellery making process.  I love free form, naturally organic shapes that the Opal dictates.  I can look at a rough opal and know how to best craft it into a necklace or ring. I make all my own findings from 925 silver and love the start to finish process of each piece.

Learning and understanding the way of life  at Lightning Ridge  has to be seen to be believed. This beautiful town has escaped the craziness of the modern world and is like no other, time stands still out there, you can lose yourself and just blend in with nature .

Local Opal miners have teamed together to produce the very popular TV show 'Opal Hunters', which gives the viewer an insight into everyday opal mining. The many problems that come from  working with nature and huge machinery,  Drilling down into the earth thru layers of rock can be back breaking work, (not to mention dangerous), only to find no colour and have to move on. Many find it extremely difficult to do day after day, month after month, but these incredible men and women love the challenge, and each day is one day closer to finding that special  rock that will change their life forever... ask a miner what else they would rather do and you will get a blank stare, it's in their blood.  Darcy says he loves every day of mining, "You have to take the good with the bad''.. and then make your own luck.

I would love to think one day I might be called a local at the Ridge, as I love this beautiful town and its community so much. It's a place where time stands still, friendships are made and a million year old rock is the hero.....Thank you for following me on my journey. I believe if you Love what you do and get to do it every day.. Then you are truly blessed.

Love Tracie x

PS....The biggest hug to my very patient hubby Donny who believed in me right from the beginning...... I Love You