Our Mission
A & S Opals, LLC proudly brings you ethically sourced, earth-mined, Australian and Brazilian Opal. We partner with small mining groups to provide you with high-quality, mine-direct, opals.
We strive to provide our customers with the finest array of opal materials and products, while sharing our passion, knowledge, and artistry with the world.
About Us
The faces and stories behind A & S Opals, LLC
ADAM SAWICKI
OWNER, MASTER LAPIDARY ARTIST & RESIDENT OPAL EXPERT
My interest in opals began as a young child. I happened to catch a special on PBS about a quirky little town on the other side of the world called Coober Pedy. Located in the middle of Australia, most of the residents of this strange place lived underground and mined a rare and precious gemstone known as opal. I was fascinated by the dedication and perseverance of the miners, who worked for weeks, or years, with little to no pay in the hope of striking it rich with a pocket of opal and transforming their fortunes in a heartbeat. What captivated me more than the Coober Pedy locals and their unique living situation, was the gemstone itself. My interest in the opal was based on its unique appeal; instead of a single color (or no color at all) and relying on facets to create beauty, the opal could be polished into smooth, sleek, free form shapes and cabochons containing not one, but all of the colors in the spectrum. It was at this young age that I decided I would someday visit the opal fields of Coober Pedy. Over the years, my interest in opal was often rekindled by other television programs that highlighted not only the Australian opal fields, but some of the domestic mines in Idaho and Nevada as well. As I grew older, my newer interest in prospecting evolved from fossils into gold and other gemstones, but opal was always in the back of my mind.
When I was finally able to visit Australia, I focused my visit on the Golden Triangle of Victoria and the various opal fields Australia has to offer. It was during my time there that the opal bug bit once again. During my stay, I visited opal shops, spoke with opal cutters, and learned as much as possible about the opal industry. Being immersed in the opal culture gave me hands-on experience and knowledge that could not have been gained elsewhere. At last, I arrived in Coober Pedy! My visit there both fulfilled my lifelong dream and solidified my enthusiasm for opals. The time spent in that unique outback landscape, learning from local shop owners, miners, and experts fed my addiction and I became true opal-holic! The contagious passion of the Coober Pedy locals sparked my desire to enter the opal industry myself. After several years of devoted research, miner networking, and honing my opal-based lapidary skills A & S Opals, LLC was born.
Over the last decade, I have continued to grow and developed partnerships with stellar opal miners in many significant opal mining areas around Australia and the world. These partnerships have taken us from my roots in Coober Pedy to Lightning Ridge, Mintabie, Queensland, and even Brazil. Over the years I have grown my opal skills, knowledge, and opal miner family to bring you the vast A & S Opals inventory and personalized services you know today. I enjoy sharing my love of opals with the world and the next generation of opal enthusiasts.
NICCI BURKE
JEWELER, E-COMMERCE DEVELOPER & ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
My passion for minerals, fossils, and gemstones began early in my childhood. I come from a family that includes miners and lapidary hobbyists. I have early memories of watching my grandfather with amazement, as he cut turquoise rough into cabochons on his lapidary machine. I spent my early years frequenting gem and mineral shows with my father and rock enthusiast uncle, cultivating my vast fossil and mineral collections. I strived to learn as much as i could about geology and minerology. I was always the little girl with the pocket full of rocks and my eyes on the ground, hoping I would find something amazing along the way. As an October baby, with a family full of October babies, opals were naturally an early obsession in the world of gemstones.
As I entered my teen years, I became addicted to fashion. I knew I wanted to enter the fashion industry but wasn't sure which role I wanted to play. I enrolled in summer programs at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City while in high school to further immerse myself in the fashion world. As I entered college, I began working towards a degree in Fashion Merchandising Management and Business Economics. As I furthered my course work I realized i was losing touch with the little girl with rocks in her pockets and switched my major to earn a degree in the Environmental Sciences. I never lost my love of the fashion industry along the way, I just wasn't sure where I fit in. Thankfully, I would one day know how my dual passions would become a career.
In 2020, I met Adam. Our shared love of opals and fossils renewed my interest in the world of minerology and ignited my passion to use my knowledge and interests in my own endeavors. I began taking jewelry making courses, learned opal carving, and began creating again. Within a few years, I left my civil service career to join Adam at A & S Opals, LLC. I now design and handmake unique opal jewelry and opal fashion accessories for our business. As a bonus, I currently spend my days with my best friend and partner, growing the business that joins our shared lifelong obsessions.
JOHN & CINDY SAWICKI
HELPING HANDS
If you have encountered our team at any gem show, you will know we would be remiss to not include Cindy and John in our introductions to our team. John and Cindy have been smiling supportive faces along for the ride with A & S Opals, LLC for many years. These two can often be found engaging our customers in conversations, sharing their acquired extensive knowledge of opals, and helping out with whatever tasks need an extra set of hands.
Adam's parents have become a large part of the success of A & S Opals. We can't thank them enough for all they do to help make our dreams come true.
