About Us

About Us & Why Australian Opal Supplier. 

Hi to all my visitors that have a passion for opal. My name is Peter Sutton, and my story started in my early childhood when my father loaded up the car and trailer heading for Lightning Ridge for most of our school holidays. Then I became a teenager where my interest waned to other things. Meanwhile, our family business, being retail, had kept me busy for 30 years, and in 2000 I decided to try something else. 

This short break from retail made me join Austrade, an Australian Government Department, to become an export adviser, working to find new markets. One industry that needed help with exporting was the opal industry. The industry was in the doldrums with the collapse of the Japanese market, which was our largest export market at the time. The miners were looking for something new. They contacted Austrade to see if they could help, and at this time, I was brought back in contact with the opal industry, assisting miners in finding new markets. One of our trade missions involved a group of miners keen to visit one of the world's biggest gem shows, Tucson, in Arizona.  

This mission opened my eyes to what Australian Black Opal meant; seeing the beauty that mother nature creates, it was tough not to fall in love with nature's most incredible Gemstone. Yes, I was hooked and getting to know the miners; it took much work to say NO when asked if I would be interested in helping them further in their mining operations. But, as my four-year contract with Austrade ended, the offer was too good to resist. 

Mining for opals is a winter operation for us. My partners all had their businesses to run when not mining, and we treated our mining as an enjoyable hobby. We enjoyed the lifestyle even though it was only for a week at a time. During the non-mining period, I needed to get back into a steady job that allowed me to mine when the time came. As a menswear retailer for 30 years, it made sense to give it another go. Within a few weeks, we opened Harrys For Menswear in Dubbo, now into our seventh year of trade.  

After 15 years of mining opal, my age is starting to catch up. However, my love for Gemstones is still as strong as ever. With the experience of marketing and now mining for opal, buying opal and marketing is how I want to continue my next stage in the industry. 

One of the driving forces that drove my decision to head in this direction was the many YouTubers, especially Justin from Black Opal Direct. Watching him uncover our Australian Gemstone with his skill and knowledge is impressive. Now, the TV series 'Opal Hunters' has highlighted our industry, both here in Australia & Internationally. 

The future is looking very bright and full of colour for our industry, and I will be doing my best to help create new and exciting opportunities for both the miners and the people in the market for opal.

Being in this industry is about integrity and credibility. I will do my best to exceed these expectations for all I meet.

Enjoy the beauty of our National Gemstone, OPAL.