Individuals rather than large mining companies do mining in the Australian opal fields. The reason for this is that opal is particularly elusive; it is not found in great amounts at a particular level or in a particular area, but is found at varying depths beneath the surface and is usually found at levels up to 25 metres deep.

Although in reality all that is needed to get started mining opal is a pick, most miners now consider a jackhammer and an electric hoist ? a machine used to get opal-bearing dirt to the surface ? the minimum equipment needed. Most shafts are now drilled using a drilling rig. After a shaft has been sunk and the opal level identified, horizontal drives are dug.

After bringing the dirt to the surface, it is initially processed by washing away all the ordinary dirt and leaving behind potential opal stones. This is usually done in an ?agitator,? a modified stationary cement mixer. Water is pumped through while the dirt rotates inside. Sludge pours from the mesh-covered openings in the side of the agitator as the dirt is washed away. What remains are known as tailings.

This final process is either the most exciting or disappointing part of the hard work of opal mining. It is at this point that it becomes apparent how much, if any, opal there is among all the dirt that has been mined.

Sinking a Shaft:

This is one of the most effective ways of finding opal, but also the most laborious. The length of the shaft can be as shhort as three meters or as long as twenty.