Our story actually starts 14 years ago, when an Australian miner known as Bobby had found a gorgeous opal stone. Hard times came along and he had to sell his mining equipment to a friend and then go back home with his precious bucket of precious rocks.
A particular one had caught his attention – as he rubbed it off dirt and cemented sand, gorgeous gold and green shades started to come out. A 2-year period followed, during which Bobby had used a dental drill to whittle away the rock. The result of all the painstaking work was a 306-carat extremely rare black opal.
Surprisingly, he kept the stone under his mattress for a whopping 12 years. Bobby describes: “I considered myself the guardian of one of God’s greatest creations and was in no hurry to part with it… It took 14 years to find someone worthy enough to be trusted to be the next guardian.”
The so-called “next guardian” is in fact Katherine Jetter – fellow Australian and accomplished designer of jewelry. Extensively experienced in dealing with opal stones, she dubbed the stone “The Royal One”. It will reportedly debut at the Couture Show at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, purchasable at US $3 million.
[Katherine Jetter]
