Editor’s Note
This report highlights a small but significant export initiative, with Honduran artisan families collectively shipping a ton of opal each month, primarily to Germany. It underscores the role of local craftsmanship in international trade.
Tegucigalpa – Approximately fifty families of Honduran artisans are exporting one ton of opal monthly to the international market, particularly to Germany, it was reported. The export includes both finished and raw material.
This commercial activity is being supported by the German government through the German Fair Trade Foundation for Minerals and Gems, the Institute of Geology and Mines, and other organizations.
Antonio Portillo, manager of the German Business Center, confirmed the aforementioned export.
Portillo highlighted that the production of this gem is done “locally 100 percent with Honduran labor.”
He indicated that although there are different varieties of opal in Honduras, one of the main ones is the matrix opal, from which they are extracting one ton monthly. This product is processed and turned into gems and precious stones that are later sold with added value.
He emphasized that in the municipality of Erandique, in the department of Lempira, they are already assembling jewelry such as earrings, pendants, and rings.
Opals are characterized by possessing an internal structure that dissipates light and offers them iridescent qualities that differentiate them from other gems. Additionally, this precious mineral often helps fossilize animals and plants.
Opal is a precious stone available in only five countries worldwide, including Honduras. Its main characteristic is that it is the only gem that combines all the colors of other precious stones.
Honduran opal formations have occurred exclusively in the west of the country, specifically in the department of Lempira.
The colors, tones, way of capturing light, and other characteristics of the three varieties of Honduran opal—black, crystal, and matrix—attracted attention.
The main opal deposits are found in Australia (its quintessential stone). Mexico is a good producer of opals. Honduras, Peru, and Spain also have notable mines. Slovakia was a good producer, but its mines are now practically exhausted.