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August 2001

LIGHTNING RIDGE HOSTS INTERNATIONAL OPAL JEWELLERY DESIGN AWARDS

Lightning Ridge has just hosted its spectacular Lightning Ridge Federation 2001 Opal Jewellery Design Awards and Exhibition, from July 26 to 29. The awards are the world's largest opal-exclusive jewellery design competition, with entries received this year from Australia, Germany, Switzerland, the United States and Canada.

A Prestige Award for the best piece of jewellery featuring freeform, undulating opal was presented to Thomas Dwenger of Germany. Thomas had flown to Lightning Ridge for the awards and was delighted to receive this prestigious accolade.

Judges Chris Sherwin, Mandy Healey and Lucas Blacker said the standard of entries was impressive. Entries in jewellery manufacture, opal carving, design sketches and objet d'art categories were displayed at Lightning Ridge & District Bowling Club alongside the incredible Solid Rainbow Collection of Lightning Ridge opal, valued in excess of AUD$30 million. Opal miners, cutters and wholesalers spent hours examining this fantastic collection.

Stallholders in the exhibition space made excellent sales from an array of opal from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, as well as opal carvings, jewellery, opalised fossils, opal-focused e-commerce products, and opal-inspired fabrics exhibited by designer Linda Jackson. Lost Sea Opals took a booth for the second consecutive year and enjoyed a successful four days.

Exhibition highlights included an opal-encrusted dress made by TAFE college students at Coober Pedy. The dress was first worn by Australian Olympic pole-vaulter Tatiana Grigorieva, at an Opal Mining Symposium held in Coober Pedy earlier in 2001. It was brought to Lightning Ridge by Sophia and John Provatidis.

How amazed, then, would the ancients have been by black opal - discovered in the arid inland of Australia many centuries later?

The Maguire Collection of Yowah opal attracted attention, as did other special exhibits - notably a set of opal dentures (!) once worn by the now-deceased Harold Hodges, a Lightning Ridge character of decades gone; and a set of historic scissors with opal-set handles.

The ceremonial scissors were manufactured for the 1932 opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge. They were loaned to the Opal Jewellery Design Awards Association by the State Parliament of New South Wales, to celebrate the centenary of the joining of Australia's colonies into a single nation, and to commemorate 100 years of opal mining at Lightning Ridge - world capital of black opal. Lost Sea Opals was proud to sponsor insurance for the transport and display of the historical opal scissors.

A Gala Awards Night on July 28 was the social highlight of the Lightning Ridge Federation 2001 Opal Jewellery Design Awards and Exhibition. Many major figures from the Australian opal industry were present, finding the event to be a fantastic opportunity for networking, as well as for relaxing away from the demands of their city-based businesses. A new 'Women in Opal' group was formed, with representatives from around Australia and exciting plans for the future.

Award-winning opal jewellery was modelled at the Gala Awards Night by six members of Australia's national women's basketball team, the Opals. Together with nine stylish Lightning Ridge women, the Opals enthralled guests with a dazzling array of fine opal jewellery. Lost Sea Opals donated seven gold and opal slider pendants to the Opal Jewellery Design Awards Association and these were presented to each of the visiting Opals. Coach Jan Stirling gave an entertaining and memorable speech in which she applied her experience in marketing and management to the Australian opal industry.

The Lightning Ridge Opal Jewellery Design Awards and Exhibition shows signs of becoming a premier event on the world's opal calendar.

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