The Association hosted its annual general meeting in conjunction with the Australian Opal Exhibition on the Gold Coast in December. The meeting was attended by more than 20 members, and a new committee was elected, with Ruth Benjamin-Thomas returning for another term as president.
Among the key developments at the meeting were the confirmation of changes to the organisation’s membership structure and the unveiling of a new logo and style guide for use across trade publications, websites, and in-store materials.
The Australian Opal Association currently has approximately 70 members, and Benjamin-Thomas said that after gathering crucial feedback from the industry, the organisation has outlined some core goals.
“As a committee, we’ve spent the past 12 months gathering feedback from members about what they want and need from an organisation such as ours. We knew that it was time for some revitalisation, but we didn’t want to make any snap decisions purely for the sake of doing something new,” Benjamin-Thomas told Jeweller.
“We’ve updated our branding and are in the process of formalising our name change and a revamp of the website. We’ve also done a lot of work on some backend processes that most people won’t notice, but I think they’ll be really important to the value that we can offer our members.
“We aren’t interested in positioning ourselves as the beginning and the end of the opal industry. We’re a small association that’s ready to grow, and more than anything, we want to meet people where they are at. We need to provide services that people need, and the feedback we’ve gathered over the past year will help us on that mission.”
Over the coming year, promoting the Authenticity Program has been identified as a priority. In the past, an in-person written test and practical examination were required for members to be able to issue certificates of authenticity. It has been determined that the written test will be moved online to allow members from across the country, as well as globally, to participate. The practical test will still need to be completed in person, and will be available to members in selected Australian capital cities, as well as seasonally at the Tucson and Hong Kong trade shows in 2026.
“There isn’t a laboratory in Australia that offers certification for opal on a large scale. Opal is such a specialised field, and so the Association provides its members with the ability to provide certification once they’re qualified,” Benjamin-Thomas continued.
“We’re updating that process to make it more readily available, and we’re updating the questions so that they align with CIBJO’s classification.
“We’ve spent a great deal of time reflecting on how the Association functions and its key objectives. This is the start of the journey, and we’re working towards a future where our members are truly proud to be a part of the Australian Opal Association.”
President: Ruth Benjamin-Thomas (Black Opal Direct)
Vice-President: Ted Hamilton (Fortune Opal Mining Company)
Secretary: William Cody (Cody Opal)
Treasurer: Darren Jack (Australian Outback Opals)
Committee: Damien Cody (Cody Opal)
Committee: John MacDonald (Australian Opal Shop)
Committee: Paul Sedawie (Seda Opals)
Committee: Edmond Lahoud (Lahoud Opals)
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