Industry Awards
Inducted into the Coober Pedy Opal Industries' Hall of Fame
John Provatidis was selected to be inducted into the Coober Pedy Hall of fame, as one of the original opal miners, and for his contribution to the Opal Industry.
Published the only Opal Mining Safety Handbook
Majestic Opals was chosen by the South Australian Government to research and develop Safety measures in the opal fields. This resulted in the production of a safety book and video in four languages used by all South Australian miners. The project won a Judges Citation Award in 1999 from the South Australian Resources Industry, and now this Mining Safety Handbook is widely used in the industry.
Industry Notoriety
Sophia Provatidis conceptualized and created the Australian Opal Dress, for the second Australian Opal Symposium. The opal miners donated all the opals for the dress, which is housed at the South Australian Museum, and is shown at major opal exhibitions around the world. Australian pole volt Olympian Tatiana Grigorieva showcased the bespoke dress at the Opal Symposium.
Then, during Australia Week in 2005, Majestic Opals held the largest Australian trade promotion ever held in Russia. The South Australian gemstone company paraded a unique opal-encrusted gown to admiring onlookers. Nothing can match the beauty of Australia Opals, particularly when a gorgeous Ukrainian model is walking through Moscow's Red Square in a A$500,000 dress studded with opals.
Ukrainian model wearing the opal-laden dress designed by Sophia Provatidis.
In 2014, Sophia and John Provatidis presented His Royal Highness Prince George with a gleaming red toy truck full of opals during a visit to Australia. Shortly afterward Sophia and John received a letter from Kensington Palace communicating a heart-felt thanks.
The only fossilised Kronosaurus tooth known to exist!
The only known opalised fossil of a Kronosaur tooth will stay in SA for generations to come after Sophia & John Provatidis donated it to the South Australian Museum for display in their Opal Fossil Gallery. Sophia & John mined the tooth from their Coober Pedy Opal mine in the 1980s and kept it safe for 30 years not knowing its significance.