Silification Geology (OPALS) with Dr. Patrice Rey
Gems of lightning and shadows. Rainbow fossils. Underground tunnel homes. Mysterious sedimentary origins. Aboriginal dreamtime stories. Armored snails. Questionable song lyrics. It’s opals, folks. And world expert geophysicist and University of Sydney professor Dr. Patrice Rey is here to talk about why he left France to explore the geological mysteries of the Outback. Should you get an opal engagement ring? Can they get wet? What’s the difference between an Australian and Ethiopian opal? What was one doing in a Kenyan cave 3000 years ago? What’s a Kyoto Opal vs. opalite? And why was your great grandma named Opal?
(Cultural warning to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners: this episode mentions names and stories of people who have passed.)
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Visit Dr. Rey’s website and follow him on Google Scholar
A donation went to the GO Foundation
Links to things we discussed:
Dr. Rey’s 2013 discovery: Pedogenic origin of Mezezo opal hosted in Ethiopian Miocene rhyolites
Uncovered: the truth about opal formation
Video: Coober Pedy opal documentary
Video: How Australians Pronounce Their Capital City Names
Video: Water Wisdom – Adnyamathanha
Opal History via Australian Government website
1996: Pedogenic origin of Mezezo Opal hosted in Ethiopian Miocene Rhyolites
1996: Africa opal unearthed
1996: Ethiopia a New Source for Precious Opal
2020: Pedogenic origin of Mezezo opal hosted in Ethiopian Miocene rhyolites
2015: An overview on Gem opals: from the geology to the color to the microstructure
Coober Pedy Historical Society monument to Will Hutchinson
This jaw-dropping home is completely underground
How to care for Ethiopian Opals
What is Potch and What Colors Is It?
The history of Opal around the world
All About Colored Stones: Black Opal, the Gem of Lightning and Shadows
Auntie June Barker's opal story echoes on
The Opal Journey In Lightning Ridge
Australian national gemstone | PM&C
Australian Citizenship - Our Common Bond | TESTABLE
Queensland Boulder Opal - Gem Adventurer™
Wangkumara tribe's discovery of opal and fire in Australian dreamtime
The 'very, very untold history' of Coober Pedy's Aboriginal opal miners
Indigenous cultural protocols: what the media needs to do when depicting deceased persons
Ethiopian Opal: Color, History, Symbolism and More
What is Ethiopian Opal by Steve Moriarty
Does Ethiopian opal turn yellow
Flash Dance: The Opal Resurgence
Geology.com The New Opal Heavyweight
INTERNAL STRUCTURES AND IDENTIFICATION OF GILSON SYNTHETIC OPALS
"Opalite" Opal Simulant, Kyocera "Opals"---Not Really Opals
Moonstone or Opalite? How to Spot the Difference
Cutting a witches hat nobby opal
Mars was half covered by an ocean
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn
