It’s International Women’s Day today and I started thinking about all the women I have known and collaborated with over the years in the opal industry. Many of these women are unknown and unsung beyond our small pond. They are miners, advocates, educators, jewelers, opal merchants and artists. Some have a profile and others work behind the scenes. Here is a small image of some of those women. There are many more but these are the ones who were easy to find images of on Google!
To all the fearless Australian Opal women I want to salute you. Working in this very male-centric field has been a blessing and a curse but you are all amazing humans and, like me, believe passionately in creating a sustainable and viable future for ourselves, our families and the opal community.
Here is but a few of these women in the following image.
- Vicki Bokros – Merchant & Advocate, Down To Earth Opals
- Jenni Brammall – Advocate & Educator, Australian Opal Centre
- Maxine O’Brien – Advocate, Lightning Ridge Miners Association
- Lilo Stadler – Merchant, Gone Bush Gem Company
- Jo Lindsay – Jeweler & Merchant, Lost Sea Opals
- Kelly Tishler – Miner, Tishler Mining
- Sophia Provatitis – Merchant 7 Advocate, Majestic Opal
- Michelle Provatidis – Advocate & Merchant, Michelle’s Opals
- Michelle Hatcher – Merchant, Aurora Gems
- Lisa Carroll – Merchant, Lisa Carroll Gems
- Ruth Benjamin-Thomas – Merchant, Black Opal Direct
- Joy Clayton – Merchant, Clayton Opal
- Elaine Raines – Advocate & Merchant
- Karen Lindley – Jeweller and Advocate
- Tanja Burk – Merchant, Tada Opals
- Justin Buckley – Merchant, The Opal Bin
- Leanne Smedley – Merchant, Boulder Opals Australia
- Barbara Moritz – Advocate, Lightning Ridge Historical Society
- Daniela L’Abbate – Carver
- Linda Jackson – Artist & Advocate
- Kavitha James – Advocate, Lightning Ridge Miners Association
