Meet The Opal Man - Dennis Dahl

Opals. Of all God's creations, opals are the most amazing stones he has created. Opals come in a wide variety, in colors, in patterns, in types of background color and in the intensity of the color, it is a kaleidoscope of pure joy. People love diamonds because they sparkle, but opals you can fall in love with because they appeal to the heart.

The Opal Man carries a great variety of opal; Black, Boulder, Koroit Boulder Opal, Crystal, White, Honey Matrix, Treated Matrix, Opal Doublets, Opal Triplets, all for your viewing pleasure. Colors, patterns, and flashes of anything you can imagine.

I am a professional opal cutter with over 50 years of experience in cutting all types of opals from the rough that I buy on the opal fields. I cut opals to maximize their innate beauty and display their exciting array of colors.

I enjoy all the many varieties of opal that are produced in Australia and many other countries throughout the world. Most of the opals I carry are from Australia which produces about 90% of the world's opal supply.

Few other places produce opal that has the depth of Black Opal, the crisp colors of Crystal Opal, or the flashy brilliance of Boulder Opal.

We have a huge range of cut and polished opals. If you are looking for something specific please send an email. Additionally, I am always cutting new opals. If you are in the trade, please let me know.

~ Dennis Dahl, The Opal Man

Beginnings Transitioning to Retail The Adventure Continues

Beginnings

I have been in the wholesale opal business since 1970 and started cutting opals in 1972. The business started in Rockford, Illinois under the name of Harlequin Enterprises, renamed in 1973 to Midwest Gem Cutters. In 1975 I moved to Hanover, Illinois, and in 2001 another move was made to Spring Green, Wisconsin as well as a name change which is now The Opal Man.

In 1976 I started buying rough in Australia with the intent of carrying as many varieties of opal as I could, since most people here in the United States thought opal was just white. Having spent 4 months working in an opal shop in Surfers Paradise, Queensland in 1969 I had seen a lot of beautiful opals of all types: Black, Crystal, Boulder, Koroit Boulder and Treated Matrix, as well as Opal Doublets and Opal Triplets.

Australia has become like a second home to me since the first time I went in 1969 for a three-month working vacation and ended up staying almost a year, which wasn't nearly enough.
The bulk of my business has been in the Midwest serving Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota but also Denver and Boulder, Colorado. Over the years, I have developed customers in a great many states.

The reason for this web site, is hopefully, to be of better assistance to my customers by displaying a portion of my stock on the web but certainly not all. If you have a specific request please send an email and let me know what you are looking for. If we don't have it in stock we have the ability to cut from the rough opal we have on hand.

Transitioning to Retail

Transitioning to Retail

One of the buildings in Spring Green that I really loved was a little gas station built in 1926. It looked like a little gingerbread house and I had taken many photos of the building because it was so unique.

In 2001 Karen Davidson made it into a jewelry store until she closed it in the fall of 2009 to move to California and warm weather. She asked me about buying it but I had no real interest in having a retail store.

It seemed however that the Lord kept poking me about renting it and I thought there is no way. If I had a store it would only sell opal, because that's what I know and how could it possibly survive in a town of 1000 people?

In late April of 2010 I opened a retail store called The Opal Man in that very building. It is the only retail store that is dedicated to selling only opal and opal jewelry in North America and I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out.

The Adventure Continues

The Adventure Continues

Since opening the store it has been an adventure. I have made a few mistakes but in spite of that we are still in business and it is getting better as we get better. I really love the building we are in and the customers we've had. I'm amazed that there are so many people that like opals as much as I do.

Each day we try to improve and to give our customers quality products, excellent service and an experience that will make them want to come back again and again.

I have been truly blessed with great customers, a wonderful staff, the support of many friends, and lots of answered prayers. It's a wonderful adventure, in a great little town, in a beautiful building, with fascinating opals and unique opal jewelry, all well worth coming to see.

Most of the customers that have come in for the first time say we are definitely coming back, and they do. Our goal is to give you an experience that will make you want to come back year after year. So come on in to the only exclusively opal retail jewelry store in North America. It's worth the trip.

~ Dennis Dahl, The Opal Man

Gallery of Fine Opal Jewelry In Spring Green & Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Meet The Opal Man - Dennis Dahl