World's First Recorded Opalised Pearls Found in Australia

The world's first recorded opalised pearls, relics of creatures in an ancient inland sea dating back 65 million years, have been unearthed by two miners in the South Australian outback.

The "priceless" four-millimetre specimens were found in the Coober Pedy opal fields, an area famed for the colourful gems.

Dr Ben Grguric from the SA Museum, where the pearls have gone on display, said opal miners Dale Price and Tanja Burk were sorting through a spoil heap when they made the discovery.

"The miners pick out anything that glows with ultraviolet light, because even a small chip of opal might be worth something if it's high quality with a high range of colours," Dr Grguric.

He said opals formed when seas dried up and alkaline soil dissolved the silica in certain rocks, as well as bones and shells - and in this case, pearls.

SOURCE: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-06/opalised-pearls-found-coober-pedy-south-australia/7145890