About Us

The Opal Miner was established in 1980 by Jim and Esther Harlow in San Jacinto, California. Jim came up with the wild idea to open a jewelry store featuring the most beautiful Australian Opals to be seen for miles and miles, and Esther lovingly accepted the endeavor they ventured upon together. Jim passed away after only 7 years of business, and so it became Esther’s mission to carry on the dream until she passed in 2024, continuing to go work at the shop until just shy of her 92^nd birthday. Esther kept the legacy of The Opal Miner alive and well for over 40 years with the help of her son, Mauro, who still runs the original Opal Miner to this day.

Since its inception, The Opal Miner has featured gorgeous fine jewelry and gemstones from around the world. Esther delighted in having beautiful and unique pieces to offer to customers, and thoroughly enjoyed sharing her wares with her family, especially her daughter, Rosemary; her granddaughter, Jenelle; her grandson and godson, Tony; and her three great granddaughters, Lily, Rose, and Violet.

It is in honor of Esther’s hard work and legacy that we are pleased to bring you a selection of her pieces with this new chapter of The Opal Miner, based out of Reno, Nevada.

We have been fortunate to learn from Esther’s teachings and expertise over the many years of visiting the shop and helping out, and Uncle Mauro lovingly provides his decades of expertise as well.

As we set out to honor her in this monumental and deeply sentimental way, I became a certified Professional Gemologist through the International Gem Society, so that I could improve my knowledge and understanding of the legacy that I lovingly carry on.

Thank you for allowing us to share this bit of our family with you. Thank you for including us in your celebrations, be they milestones or everyday occurrences. May you wear or gift these pieces with all of the love that they already hold.