Cody had an unrivalled passion for Australian opals and dedicated most of his life to promoting and celebrating this unique gemstone.
His love for collecting gemstones and minerals started from an early age, and a school excursion to Coober Pedy accelerated his love for opals.
In 1964, his interests turned to cutting opal, and he went on to complete studies in Valuations at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
His passion and understanding of the market provided the basis for his business, Cody Opal, which he founded in 1971 at the age of 20.
The business initially specialised in opal wholesale and gemstone cutting before later expanding into the international export of opal to Japan, Europe, and the US.
In time, the business became a family affair, with his brother, Damien Cody, joining Andrew.
In 1991, Andrew wrote the book ‘Australian Precious Opal—A Guide Book for Professionals’.
It was published in English and Japanese and remains an important resource for industry professionals and gemmologists alike.
He assisted Australia Post with an award-winning series of stamps commemorating the proclamation, designed the official National Gemstone emblem, and developed the official opal nomenclature.
In 2000, Cody co-founded The National Opal Collection, which has its head office in Melbourne and showrooms in Melbourne and Sydney.
The business includes museum displays, retail sales, and wholesale exports to the international gemstone industry. It is now recognised around the world as the primary source of opal.
Andrew became an Associate Research Officer at the Australian Museum, contributing important research into the genesis of opal formation.
His extensive collections of opals and opalised fossil specimens have also been exhibited at the museum.
In 2001, Cody Opal was awarded a Governor of Victoria Export Award for Minerals and was a finalist in the Australian Exporter of the Year Awards.
In 2010, Cody and his brother Damien published a second book, ‘The Opal Story,’ which was translated into six languages.
Cody was involved in championing the declaration of opal as Australia's national gemstone, which became official in 1993.
In 2018, Andrew Cody produced a limited release of sixty opal master sets. Each set contains 216 opal samples from deposits worldwide to assist with identifying, classifying, and grading opal.
Major laboratories and gemmological institutes availed themselves of this resource, and the release was quickly over-subscribed.
Cody Opal Australia received a JNA Honouree award for Industry Innovation of the Year for this initiative.
In addition to running his successful businesses, Cody served the gemstone industry in various roles.
He was president of the Australian Gem Industry Association, chairman of the Australian Jewellery and Gemstone Industry Council, president of the International Colored Gemstone Association, and a member of Thailand's JTC-AIGS Leaders Council.
He was also a special projects officer of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO).
Cody received honorary fellowships from The Australian Gemmological Association and the Gemmological Association of Great Britain for his vast contributions to the gemstone industry and study of gemmology.
In addition to these official roles, he was a regular speaker at national and international forums.
He also served as an expert in the opal industry, appearing in countless articles and media appearances.
Cody passed away in 2022 after a brave battle with a rare form of blood cancer.
His legacy is carried forward through his businesses, Cody Opal and The National Opal Collection, which remain significant exporters of Australian opal worldwide.
Through Cody's efforts, the Australian opal is held in high regard on international markets and has become recognised as the National Gemstone of Australia.
He has left an immeasurable impact on the Australian opal and gemstone industries.
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