Deep Time
Melanie Katsalidis
Melanie Katsalidis presents Deep Time, a collection of Australian boulder opal set in yellow gold. These stones were mined at Winton in central-west Queensland, where opal began forming some one hundred million years ago beneath an ancient inland sea — silica settling into the cracks and cavities of ironstone and holding its colour there while the water drained away and the continent dried. Boulder opal is singular in that the gem remains joined to its host rock, so each stone reads like a cross-section of country: a seam of blue and green running through deep brown ironstone. Melanie claw sets each one in 18ct gold, lifting the gem clear so its full face catches the light, and lets the natural silhouette of the stone lead the design. Every piece in Deep Time is one of a kind — there is only ever one.
