About Us

About OpalPop

OpalPop is a U.S.-based online curator and collector of opal jewelry, dedicated to creating the most informative and comprehensive opal jewelry shopping experience available. Each piece is chosen with care, documented with precision, and presented as both fine jewelry and art.

Our 3 Core Principles

Honest Representation

Every opal is photographed under both LED lighting and natural sunlight, with multiple angles shown to capture the stone’s true character—not just its best angle. Images are carefully edited to reflect reality without oversaturation or exaggeration. Transparency in presentation is a guiding principle: the goal is always accurate, conservative representation that builds long-term trust.

Customer Education

Education is central to OpalPop’s mission. While our first long-form educational collection on Boulder Opal Jewelry has set the tone, the broader vision is to expand this approach across all opal types, building one of the most comprehensive resources for opal jewelry online. Each step forward is made with the intent that customers leave with greater knowledge and confidence than when they arrived.

Personal Satisfaction

OpalPop is not a faceless brand; every customer interacts directly with the person behind it. From attentive communication to a straightforward return policy—14 days for refunds, 30 days for store credit—satisfaction is treated as the foundation of trust. Each interaction is designed to feel personal, reliable, and lasting.

Rooted in Our Industry

OpalPop is proud to be part of respected organizations across the jewelry and gemstone world. These memberships reflect our commitment to expertise, ethical standards, and continued learning—grounding our work within the wider community of professionals who share the same passion:

Jewelers of America (JA)
As a member of Jewelers of America, we commit annually to their Code of Professional Practices, aligning OpalPop with the most trustworthy and ethical fine jewelry businesses in the United States.
Verify Our JA Membership
American Gem Trade Association (AGTA)
Our AGTA membership reflects OpalPop's commitment to the association's highest ethical standards and transparency in buying and selling natural colored gemstones, including opals, instilling trust in every transaction.
Verify Our AGTA Membership
National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA)
Being a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) signifies a commitment to the association's Code of Ethics and ongoing professional education, serving to build the public's trust in our expertise.
Verify Our NAJA Membership
Australian Opal Association (AOA)
As a member of the Australian Opal Association, we align with industry leaders who publish definitive opal information and research, reinforcing OpalPop's commitment to expertise in Australian opals and opal jewelry.
Verify Our AOA Membership
Ganoksin Jewelry Making Resources
OpalPop is proudly listed on Ganoksin, the world’s most respected online authority for jewelry making, where our commitment to expertise and quality craftsmanship is shared within the trade community.
View Our Ganoksin Profile

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About Us: Meet the Founder

Meet the Founder

A Decade in Opals

My name is Matt Lervold, and opals have been at the center of my professional life for over a decade. I began at 16 as an unpaid apprentice in Southern California, where I learned the trade hands-on before going on to become a certified gemologist, appraiser, and eventually the manager of a long-established opal jewelry specialist. During that time, I helped bring the business into the digital age, building its website into a global platform and learning first-hand how much trust matters when buying jewelry online.

Why OpalPop Exists

OpalPop was born from that experience. I wanted to create something of my own—a place where opal jewelry could be treated not as a commodity, but as art. Unlike diamonds, whose value is standardized and charted, opals defy simple price tags. Each stone is a one-of-a-kind expression of color, pattern, and history. That individuality is what makes them beautiful, and it’s the philosophy I’ve carried into every detail of OpalPop.

What You Can Expect

What I offer is straightforward: carefully selected pieces, documented with accurate photography, honest descriptions, and the personal guarantee of someone who has spent more than 11 years immersed in this field. When you buy from OpalPop, you’re not working with a faceless store—you’re working directly with me. If questions ever come up, I’m here to answer them. If expectations are ever unmet, I’ll make it right.

Education and Transparency

Customer education is another cornerstone of this project. Many people hesitate to purchase opal jewelry online because it’s hard to know what you’re looking at. That’s why I invest so much time in detailed product pages, video, and educational guides. The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel when choosing a piece that’s right for you.

From Then to Now

OpalPop has come a long way since its launch, and I’ve kept my very first “Letter from the Founder” published as a reminder of where it all started. If you’d like to see the earliest days of this journey, you can read it here.

At the end of the day, my work is simple: to curate opal jewelry with integrity, to communicate honestly, and to treat every customer relationship as the foundation of this brand’s future. Thank you for supporting OpalPop and for sharing in the beauty of opals with me.

— Matt Lervold

Founder & Curator, OpalPop