Our Story & Mission
Ancients17 is a collaboration between Loren and Jo. Loren, a master opal cutter and paleontology researcher, Jo, a jewellery educator who has a passion for promoting independent designers. Our partnership was born from a shared love of Australian Opals and connecting people with stones that speak to them.
We work to highlight the natural wonders of opal, helping people understand this complex and mysterious gem. We provide a source for jewelry designers and the public alike to obtain ethically procured opals. These opals are mined sustainably by our mining partners in Lightning Ridge, Australia, and cut in-house by Loren.
Our mission is to build a community and a relationship with our clients and to offer information and education alongside the gemstones we sell. We would love to spend time getting to know you, sharing our knowledge, and working together to help you find your perfect stone.
Loren
I stumbled across the wonders of opal due to my passion for exploring all things natural history. I was fortunate to have been exposed to paleontology fieldwork at a young age, and I quickly learned I wanted to devote my life to exploring nature and understanding how the history of the land beneath our feet can inform us about the future of our planet.
I started teaching myself to cut opals when I was 19 and first starting college. Cutting opal quickly progressed from an experiment to an obsession, and I have devoted much of the last 4 years studying this gem, its formation, and how to process and cut them to best bring out their natural beauty.
I continue to follow a career path as a research paleontologist, while ancients17 helps to fund many of our expeditions and research endeavors exploring the history of the earth.
Jo
Jo has a deep passion for jewelry and has over 20 years of experience in the field. She devoted her passion to promoting the work of independent jewelry designers and artists. Jo started collaborating with loren when he was just starting to work with opals. She has a deep love for opal and is committed to connecting the independent design community with a consistent sustainable source for these fantastic gems. She also works hard to create a community of close-knit passionate people.