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
