Opal Horizon Limited

Company Profile

Opal Horizon Limited ("OHZ") is a an unlisted Australian public company with over 110 shareholders which has been in operation since February 2001.  It is a vertically integrated company involved in all aspects of the opal industry from exploration through to mining, purchasing, processing, and international wholesaling.  Ultimately the Company intends to brand market its product.

Apart from opal which is sold to shareholders in Australia, all of the company's product is sold internationally.

The company currently has one opal mine in operation in southwestern Queensland.  This mine, called Raindance, produces high-quality pipe and boulder opal.  Another deposit close by, called The Big Girl, is expected to begin mining operations in 2009.

OHZ is a world leader in opal exploration and has numerous discoveries to its credit, including the Raindance and The Big Girl deposits.  It is the company's intention to have at least 4 opal mines in operation at any one time to assure continuity of supply.

Almost all opal sold in Australia is destined for the tourist market.  Despite the fact that opal is a rare and valuable gemstone, this market has created a distinctive souvenir-style of opal jewellery within Australia.  Declining tourism numbers in recent years have severely affected sales but ironically have given the company a unique opportunity to consolidate the industry through purchasing opal from individual miners and selling it overseas. The paucity of large wholesalers of precious opal means that most opal sold internationally goes to relatively small niche markets.

By being able to provide a large and constant supply of material for the international market, it is OHZ's intention to create and promote a luxury market for opal jewellery, commensurate with the stone’s rarity and value.  The Company has commissioned the construction of several pieces of luxury jewellery by top Australian designers to demonstrate the gemstone's suitability for this type of jewellery.  Photographs of some of these pieces can be viewed here.