Grace Hays
$50,000 AOC Founder
The Gem Garden

An American gemmologist and jeweller, Grace Hays has pledged $50,000 to the AOC building project. Grace and the rest of the team at The Gem Garden say they are certain that the AOC will help build the Lightning Ridge community and the entire Australian opal industry.

"After I graduated from university on the East Coast in the United States, I discovered that my calling lay outside my degree. I packed up my things and moved across the country to study at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in California to become a gemologist.

I have always loved jewellery and gems, even as a child. My father was an architect and taught me how to draw in dimension. Designing jewellery and working with gems came naturally to me. 

After studying at and working for GIA for several years, I started my own business, The Gem Garden, giving me the freedom to work with precious stones and with miners from around the world.

Of the many gemstones I work with, black opals are by far my favourite. I love how colourful and unique they are. Not one opal is like another; each one is unique in its design, cut, and colour. The fact that each stone is one of a kind is fascinating. When working with other stones, you want them to be just like the stones around them. With an opal, you will never find that. There is beauty in the uniqueness.

When I visited Lightning Ridge, I was shown the scale model of the  new AOC building, and was instantly motivated. I am the daughter of an architect, and I took a liking to the energy efficient concept. 

While I was growing up, my father designed and built buildings that made a difference. That this building is not only self-sufficient and will conserve water and energy, but will do so much for the local community and the opal industry as a whole, is inspiring. I wanted to get involved immediately and support the AOC as much as possible.

There is a lot about Lightning Ridge that I enjoy. The fact that it is a small local community is one of the main reasons I respect and appreciate it so much. 

Mining opal is difficult; the miners are literally chasing rainbows, which is no easy task. Opals come to us from hard working individuals and families, not large conglomerates. In Lightning Ridge, individuals operate the mines, while also doing what they can to preserve the earth.

I've been following the AOC for some years and will continue to do so.

The AOC educates the public about the history and the process of mining the stone that I’m passionate about. With this new building, they can continue their education programs, as well as being a museum, a library and a business centre not just for Lightning Ridge opals, but for opals from all over the country. 

Opals benefit the entire country of Australia. The AOC can now shine a light on them and allow people of all ages to learn about and appreciate this amazing national treasure.”

If you’d like to join Grace as an AOC Founder, click here for more information. For more information contact Richard Wylie by calling 0416 090 705 or emailing partnerships@australianopalcentre.com. We look forward to hearing from you!