Opal is a spectacular stone with unique, and beautiful reflections. In Ethiopia, deposits were discovered in 2008 in the north of the country, and it quickly the world’s second-largest exporter. In 2021, the trade brought in $2.6 million. But this is nothing compared to the income opal could generate for the economy. What’s needed is a better legal framework, more skilled workers, private investment and better global marketing. And the government is gearing up to make those things happen: it wants mining to make up 17% of GDP. FRANCE 24’s Clothilde Hazard reports.
