A unique opal unearthed in outback Queensland will soon be on display here in Canberra. The stone could easily fetch two hundred thousand dollars on the international market, but instead, it will be kept safe at a museum in the city's south.
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00:00 Most opal miners only dream of their eureka moment.
00:06 For Dave Darby, the dream came true.
00:08 At his late father's mining site in October 2020,
00:12 he had a rush of adrenaline after discovering a heavy, avocado-shaped rock.
00:17 I said, "Oh, well, there could be something in here."
00:20 And sure enough, it was a bit more than what I expected,
00:23 but, yeah, it was one of a kind.
00:25 Weighing in at just under 400 grams,
00:28 the gemstone is worth a small fortune,
00:31 but it means much more to the Darby family.
00:34 It's a very spiritual stone.
00:36 It's like a dreamtime stone, and it belongs here in Australia.
00:40 It's a connection to the Mother Earth here in Yauwa.
00:44 Known as the Yauwa Moon, he could have got top dollar,
00:47 but the 53-year-old wanted his family's legacy to live on
00:51 and sold it to Geoscience Australia.
00:53 To make sure that it does stay in Australia, which is really important,
00:56 really important to Australia and our cultural society.
00:59 It will be part of a public exhibition called The Rocks That Shape Australia.
01:03 A lot of the outback was opened because of opals,
01:05 and then they've become really culturally significant
01:07 because they are the national gem of Australia.
01:10 Yauwa's locals know the significance of the rare gemstone,
01:13 most likely formed during the Cretaceous period.
01:16 Between 65 and 135 million years ago,
01:20 it was all happening during the time of the dinosaurs.
01:23 While 95% of the world's precious opal is produced in Australia,
01:28 the Yauwa nut can only be found here in south-west Queensland.
01:33 It's made unique by its avocado-type shape, which resembles a nut.
01:38 I'm glad it went to the Geoscience Museum in Canberra.
01:42 And, yeah, there should be more of it.
01:45 The lucky miner is back fossicking before heading to the unveiling in Canberra.
01:50 [no dialogue]