18 December, 2025, 8:59 pm Central - 24°C Rain

Chasing rainbows: why opals are one of the most overlooked gems

Chasing rainbows: why opals are one of the most overlooked gems

By Cecilia Matanatabu
29/12/2021
[Image: Millie Savage/instagram]

Australia is home to roughly 90 per cent of the world’s opal deposits.

Their intricate appearance sets them apart from other gems, opals have fallen out of favour in fashion over the years.

While they experienced popularity in the Art Nouveau and Deco periods, opals’ popularity dwindled in the decades that followed and they were relegated to antique dealers or cast to the back of the jewellery box.

In 2021 and 2022, however, they’re staging a visually arresting comeback.

A homegrown, technicoloured treasure with a visual appearance evocative of the ocean, or even the depths of outer space with their supernova-like streaks, opals contrast to their environment of origin: the inland deposits across our country’s sparse desert landscape.

Millie Savage says of her eponymous Australian jewellery brand, creates jewellery that accentuates the mysterious, fantastical qualities of the opals she uses, with mesmerising results.

She adds that she's always been in love with the fact that you will never find two of the same [opal]

Savage says there’s nothing more exciting than ordering a bunch of Aussie opals and waiting for some direct sunlight to see the colors in all their rainbow glory.

[Source: vogue.com]

FEATURE NEWS
Traffickers exploit victims in hotels, homes, and massage parlours in Fiji - US Report
Traffickers exploit victims in commercial sex establishments, hotels, private homes, and massage parlours in Fiji, and sometimes utilize websites and ...
4 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
Young teacher mourns grandmothers' death day before graduation
26-year-old Shivendra Shiamal Sharma experienced a deeply bittersweet moment after losing his grandmother just a day before graduating as a primary ...
2 hours ago

Seruiratu questions merger of Sugar Ministry with Agriculture
Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu has raised serious concerns regarding the Prime Minister's decision for the Minister for ...
3 hours ago

Cheap seed oils are not good for our health - O'Neill
With over 80 percent of deaths in Fiji caused by cardiovascular disease based on the 2011 report, naturopath and nutritionist Barbara O’Neill is ...
3 hours ago

ACP Vusonilawe calls for community action as alcohol-fuelled incidents rise
With alcohol-fuelled incidents on a rise, Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Kasiano Vusonilawe is calling on community members to intervene ...
4 hours ago

Flagstaff and Rewa St drug cases to be called on New Year's Eve
The cases for Flagstaff drug accused Joshua Ravula and Yin Qing Qing and Rewa Street drug accused Yu Yang Feng, Minghui Dai, Zhou Lan, Ginna Choi, ...
5 hours ago



Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Fiji needs to act on human trafficking indicators associated with Grace Road Group
The United States has expressed serious concern about human trafficking indicators linked to the Grace Road Group in Fiji, as highlighted in the 2025 ...
2 hours ago

Human trafficking allegations and issues relating to Grace Road Group
Human trafficking allegations and concerns linked to the Grace Road Group/+ARTICLE-311061+ARTICLE/PM says Govt cannot interfere into any human ...
12 hours ago

Sonia Shanaaz says silent treatment hurts as she waits for assistance for her daughter with cerebral palsy
Sonia Shanaaz, the mother of 10-year-old Aarna who was born with cerebral palsy, says silent treatment hurts after she reached out to the ...
6 days ago

TOP