Testimonials and recommendations
Thanks to all our customers for your testimonials – Peter
Thank you so much for all your very encouraging comments about the way we care for our customers. I am so happy that some of you have mentioned specific difficulties we had in the transaction, sometimes it was our fault as a result of human imperfection and it gave us the opportunity to make sure you are happy with our service.
This is often a challenge when something goes wrong that is outside our control, such as postal difficulties but there has never been a case that we are aware of that things have not been sorted out to your benefit, even if it costs us. We try to treat folks the way WE like to be treated when doing business and rather than creating a problem for ourselves, even though at times it costs us money, our business just keeps expanding because of your much appreciated recommendations. Thank you one and all for your feedback.
Please continue to contribute to this forum at the bottom of this page, and as always, don’t hesitate to let us know if there are any problems. And keep in mind that our guarantees don’t run out in one year. Please fill in the newsletter form on the left side of our homepage here, if you would like to receive our newsletter. Best wishes to all, Peter
Some History about our Opal Shop
Before the internet we sold opals and Sheepskin Products at the ‘Opal Miner’s Hut’ for 25 years. The actual building, which is no longer there, used to be a fisherman’s home. it was caricatured by Graham Lees into an Opal Miner’s Hut.
The book below and to the right, is a collection of 8000 signatures of just a few of our happy customers. Since opening our store on the internet back in 1996, the customer testimonials are too numerous to show here, so we have listed a few of them for your perusal
8000 signatures over 30 years & still counting
8000 signatures in our visitors book (right) at the ‘opal miner’s Hut’ spanning over 25 years
- Thousands of recommendations and thank-you notes from internet customers since 1996
- Reliable and trustworthy service to the internet community spanning over 16 years
The following comments from our customers represent the best testimonials but still only a tiny fraction of the expressions we have received over the past 30 years. We have 8000 signatures from visitors to our opal store, plus upwards of a thousand emails since being online. We have been selling opals on the internet from just about when it began, in 1996. I guess this makes us one of the grandfathers of opals online. During this time we have had very few negative comments, mainly our fault because of not ascertaining people’s needs properly. It certainly has been a learning curve for all of us, and of course, we continue to improve with each passing year.
Testimonials an ongoing statement of our reputation
As you can see in this, our latest upgrade (2010) the whole site is a blog. (a web log that is) This means that at the bottom of most pages, there is a place for comments from customers, and this is where we get some of our best testimonials. This means that you can read what others are saying or questions they have asked. The whole site is one big learning system, meaning that you, our valued visitor, whether you buy anything or not, can get to know a whole lot more about opal and Australia. We are delighted to welcome you to this site, so don’t hesitate to communicate with us, if you feel like it.
Please join the list
Helping our customers choose the right opal for their preferences and budget is always a challenge. Sometimes it takes a couple of e-mail exchanges to zero-in on exactly what someone has in mind…and we’re just as anxious as our customers until we know a shipment has arrived safely and the jewelry or stones meet their expectations. Note, we have not published the email addresses of our referrals for obvious security reasons but many of them have given us permission to contact them direct, so if you would like to verify any of the statements, let us know and we will ask them again for their permission. That way you can be sure that none of the recommendations are in any way fabricated but are all genuine responses as a result of our quality service. They are all a part of our best testimonials
So, we hope you enjoy reading some of our best testimonials, and we would be delighted to read your comments as well, whether they are positive or negative. We are always trying to find ways of improving and your criticism is appreciated.
Peter
PS. You can also go to a site independent of us to make some comments. We very much welcome the feedback of our customers and we would like any who want to write or see an unbiased review of our service to go to this independent review site
Below is a collection of just some of the comments we get back from happy customers. Please take a look and let us know if you would like to talk to them personally after i get their permission.
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Dear Peter
I am writing to you so that you can inform any potential customers about the very positive and generous way in which you have dealt with a problem.
Buying on the internet takes a leap of trust- I hope that sharing my experience might help others in judging and maybe leaping!
Unfortunately I received the wrong item from you- a green opal instead of a blue one. Clearly there was a simple mistake in the Christmas rush, but it was still disappointing.
Since the mistake was pointed out I have been delighted and surprised by the way in which you have dealt with the problem. Receiving a daily update on progress during the Christmas/new year holiday was very reassuring and beyond the normal call of duty. You also included an extra item to apologize for the problem- this is not a standard way of dealing with complaints over here, but it was a very nice surprise.
I would recommend your service and products to anyone.
Very best regards
Phil Sizer
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Opal Pendant is beautiful. Arrived quickly and safely. Thank you for the earrings and pendant.
Susan
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Hello Peter and Cindy:
The opal we recently ordered just arrived, packaged well and with the spare chain. It is beautiful. The extra gift is also very much appreciated. My son, Nick, wanted to give this necklace to his girlfriend (very serious girlfriend) who had lost the opal necklace she bought when she was down under. His smile when he saw the necklace made clear that this opal is just what he wanted.
My wife and I just met this young lady–her name is Jess–and I can see why he is so taken with her. Attached is a photo of the two.
Thank you very much for your caring service and quality product. Young love needs opals.
Tom Owen
Arizona, USA
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Absolutely magnificent and thanks for the gift. Peter Thanks so much for your help and rushing the order For the 25th. Your the best.
Michael Albright
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I want to thank you very much for the opal pendant you sent. Even though I had an idea of what it looked like when ordering it, it still made me take a deep breath when seeing it for the first time in person. The complementary earrings you gave were the icing to the perfect cake.
I can not wait to see the reaction of my girlfriend. I want to give it to her now, but I have to wait 19 more agonizing days until Christmas.
On top of it all there was also a cute koala pendant with my order. I can not believe the generosity that came with my order.
I will definitely use your business again, and I will be recommending you to others.
Once again: thank you. You have made me very happy!
Sean
Ps. I now have a strong desire to visit down under.
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WOW!! Just received my orders.Peter your work is TOP SHELF I’m so very pleased I do not know what to say…..My wife will be home from work soon and I know she is going to flip out.We {WILL} do more biz..Thank you so much Pete.
PS. Tell Cindy thanks for the Freebees They are very wonderful also.
Color me happy Ron Dapo
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I recommend this site to anyone interested in Excellent Quality and workmanship! The boulder opal watch that I purchased from this website is Absolutely Gorgeous! I get compliments on it every time I wear it!
Great communication from the Customer Service department as well. I couldn’t be more pleased!!
Thanks again,
Laurie Z. Penn, Radcliff, KY USA
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Hello,
I’m Dror from Israel. After a long search for Opal rings in local stores, I have found out two things:
1. Opal rings are expensive.
2. Every store sells the same boring rings.
I have decided to search the web for opal rings and I found the site of Peter. I sent an e-mail to Peter with the normal questions (time for shipment, ways of payment etc.). I got the answers immediately. I placed an order using my PayPal account but I was informed that the account was restricted. I sent an e-mail to Peter, telling him that I’m going to place a new order, this time giving him my credit card number, and asked him to discard the first order. The next day my Pay pal account was charged although restricted. I sent another e-mail to Peter and asked him not to charge me on the second order (with my credit card details), But Peter answered that he didn’t get any payment from PayPal. A day later I was charged on my second order. A big fraud, I thought to myself…
Once again I wrote Peter and he did his best to help me get the refund from PayPal and finally I got it. 3 weeks later I got my ring too. Although Australia is quite far from Israel, Peter gave me the feeling that he was beside me. Every question was immediately answered with a good will to help and satisfy me.
P.S
My girl LOVES the ring!
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I like to buy at Petren Products, because they take customer demands very
seriously and give a personal advice. Finally, when I choose a product, I
know I made the best decision.
Keep going like this, Renate and Peter. You are great.
Regards, Ewa
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I first found opalmine.com looking for a one of a kind black opal on the internet. I was wary sending money out of the country to a company I did not
know with no way to get my money back if the stone was of pour quality or
not as represented. This had already happened to me once. On e-mailing Peter
back and forth he sounded honest. He had a black opal that no one else even
came close to in color, fire and price. Plus he had a ring made to fit the
stone with diamonds. He had drawings done first for my approval then in
plastic, ( I think it was plastic )when I got the ring it was perfect and
one of a kind. My trust paid off and I found that Peter is a stand up guy
and will do all he can to make you happy with your purchase. I recommend him
to all.
Phillip Shannon; Florida, USA
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A quick note to thank you for the extra opal necklace with my order. My 4-year old daughter stashed it in her secret treasure box. Lovely pendant, my wife loves it.
Happy new year,
Todd – Derwood. MD-USA
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Peter, the packages arrived and my girlfriend loved them. Thanks for the extra gift. I will be using you in the future for sure. If you ever need a reference you may use me.
Thanks,
Gerald -Denver, Colorado, USA
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Peter,
Received ring today, with extra gift. Thank you for a fantastic service.
Regards
Paul.
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Dear Peter, many thanks for the lovely sparkly pendant. One of the ladies in my life will treasure it. I really must study your site thoroughly and see if I can find a stone in the orange/red range that would make a great Gent’s ring. I can spare a few hundred quid on myself from time to time especially now that I have decided that long haul flights are not for me any more. Once again, much appreciation for your thoughts and service.
Best wishes
Mike. -Bristol – England
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Hi Peter,
Dain received the ring at his work on Friday. I LOVE the ring, its beautiful!!! And the pendant you sent was a perfect match for the ring, its a style I would have chosen myself. I think it is a very nice to send a little extra thing for me! I will recommend you to any of my friends, and I will be buying some more opals next year! Many Thanks Peter I’m chuffed to bits.
Michelle Smith
Chesham, Buckinghamshire.
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Peter,
The jewelry I ordered arrived today. It is all beautiful! Thank you very much for the “extra” set of earrings and bracelet
Regards,
Gordy -Perth, Western Australia
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Peter
I was very happy with the time and trouble you took over my purchase and I have passed your samples and cards around my friends. For anyone interested in buying opals who knows nothing about the gem, or what best to buy, you would be well advised and well looked after by Peter .I was in this situation and Peter took time, and a lot of it, to sort me out. The whole process took about six months from start to finish, and the result was 1st class. Peter answers all your questions quickly and clearly. I would not go to anyone else for OPALS.
Jean Pearce
Cricklade – Wiltshire, England
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Hello Peter:
After staying for some days in Sao Paulo, my friend finally arrived yesterday in Belo Horizonte, where I live.You made me very happy: the pendant and the ear-ring are indeed very beautiful. Thank you for your courtesy. I have been in Australia three years ago: it’s a great and wonderful country, with a very nice people.
Thank you again.
Ana Adelina
Belo Horizonte. Brazil
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The Story of the Sad Canadian Girl & an Opal Bloke from Australia
This article sounds like its been written by a very close relative who hopes for a share in the will…haaa…but I really have never met Cindy before. Only through cyberspace. I try not to blow my bags too much, but the story just had to be told, and it’s a little positive indication to show how people who have never met before at different parts of our amazing world, can keep their word and show genuine interest and consideration for one another. Sure, it’s my standard policy to think of my customers interests before my own, but it was Cindy who showed the patience and understanding necessary to bring out the best in myself. And unless we all learn this lesson, and get rid of greed and hatred, I fear for the future of our planet. – Peter Brusaschi
I’m not much of a writer, but both Peter and I decided that we should get our experience down on paper… or at least on a computer screen! This is a true story about two people a world away, how they met and how refreshing it was to meet a truly good person. Now, since I’m not much of a writer (I think it’s worth mentioning twice) I’ll start from the beginning and hopefully not bore you too much along the way… Here goes…
My grandmother left me an opal when she passed away, back in 1986, I was 10 years old. It was so pretty and so sentimental to me that I decided to wear it only for special occasions; it was there for my graduation & again on my wedding day, four years later. Then I received an email, one of those forwarded ones that I usually skim through and then quickly delete. This one was different, I wish I still had it to share with you, but unfortunately my old computer died and took it to its grave. I felt like it was written just for me, a poem about enjoying the things you have while you still can.
Why tuck something so beautiful away, you’ll find that at some point in your life it’ll be too late to enjoy it. What a waste. So I decided that I needed to wear that pendant & show it off proudly. I wore it day in and day out, always aware of it. THEN… one day while camping (yep, I even wore it camping) I was sitting on the beach with my mom and we got to talking about it. When I held it up to look at it, it looked odd… Something was definitely wrong, and my heart immediately dropped . It was ruined! One side of it had turned cloudy, where the other part remained the vibrant blue that I loved so much. I was devastated!
When we got back from our trip I immediately started looking for someone to repair my opal.
In the course of a couple of weeks, I visited 6 or 7 jewellery stores where each time I was told that it wasn’t something they were familiar with fixing, or that it wasn’t something that could be fixed. Then I found an opal jeweller. I thought “There! I’m sure THEY can do something for me!” Gemport. The name is burned into my mind. So I took the kids to Gemport with me. I went in with so much hope you could practically see it seeping from my skin! There was my would-be savior behind a glass counter talking on the phone. He saw me… And he continued talking on the phone. And talking… And talking… And talking! Finally he gets off and asks what he can do for me. Here’s pretty much how it went:
“Can you tell me if you can repair my opal?”
With a quick glance, “It’s delaminated.”
“What does that mean? It was my grandmother’s pendant, so if there’s anything you can do… ”
“It means that someone didn’t take very good care of it”
“Is there anything at all that can be done?!”
“You can buy a new opal.”
“Buy a new opal?!”
“Yep. Can’t fix it.”
I was in tears and he saw that, yet offered me not a glimmer of hope. As a matter of fact, he was downright rude & completely unsympathetic. I tried to compose myself as I turned my back and swiftly left without another word. I managed to get the kids into the car & I sat in the front seat for what must have been a full 5 minutes before I felt that I could drive the ½ hour home again. The kids, who are usually either laughing or arguing with one another, were unusually silent – I guess they can sense when mom needs some time.
Delaminated. Is that what he said? Yes. That’s it. I’ll google it! I googled it and up pops the website: http://www.opalmine.com . What pretty opals! What the heck, I’ll email and see if they can offer me that glimmer of hope that “Gemport jerk” (as I have since dubbed him) ripped away from me. “Hi there, I hope you can help me…. “ I started my email. I tried my best to describe what the opal looked like and how I was told that it had become delaminated. I wasn’t really expecting to hear back, but it was worth a try, right? Surprisingly, and quite quickly, I received a response. “Yes it sounds like it has become delaminated, but it might be possible to fix it….” WHAT?! REALLY?! There was my glimmer of hope!!! Some guy named Peter – a million miles away – offered whatever help he could. And with that, the journey of my grandmother’s opal began.
First, to get it there. It was a risk, it was so far away & I really didn’t know this guy, Peter, but heck… what else could I do? He even offered to find or make a similar one, if it couldn’t be fixed, and no charge for trying to fix it. Wow. This guy can’t be all that bad. Ok, it was a risk I was willing to take.
Off to the post office. FORTY DOLLARS? Holy cow! $40 to send a tiny package… by SURFACE mail?! Or $60 to send it airmail?! Now, was it really worth the risk? Yes, I decided. Yes it was. So it might cost a bit… it’ll be worth it, if it works. If it doesn’t work, well at least I knew that I did everything I could. Surface mail, it is! (with insurance, of course!)
TWO MONTHS LATER. Yes, two months. I was getting worried, but I guess that’s what I get for sending it surface mail! I got an email from Peter. He had received the opal and he was able to fix it… and since it was such a simple fix, he wasn’t charging me anything but the cost to send it back to Canada. WOW! What a guy! My opal was fixed… And at no charge!!
So, going against my previous beliefs, I decided that the opal would be put back into my jewellery box and will only see the light of day on special occasions. At least I enjoyed it for those few years. Now I need another one! And who better to get it from then from Peter? I ordered one, a beautiful one, from the website. He would include it in the package with my grandmother’s opal.
Wow! My opal was coming home!
And then comes the email… “I forgot to put the pendant in the package” Huh?! Darn it! He forgot to include it with my order! Well, I guess I’ll just have to wait until it shows up in a separate package. A little more patience is all.
Then comes another email some days later…
“Bad news Cindy, I can’t find your opal” OMG. Oh My God! This can’t be happening! After all that we’ve been through with the silly thing, it comes up missing. We were on holidays in the Rockie Mountains when I read the email & I decided that I would have to try and forget about it for a few more days – it was NOT going to ruin my winter holiday! I wrote back “Please, please, please, Peter – don’t give up looking for it!” And then I received another email mentioning how he’s not going to give up looking, how sick it had made him feel , how he just can’t figure out how it went missing, and that he feels just awful… and I thought to myself that this little opal shouldn’t be causing this much trouble. I felt just as responsible as he did! So – forget about it – there’s nothing I can do, and not much else he can do. Some things are just so. If there’s nothing you can do about then there’s nothing you can do about it. Of course, I was very sad to lose it, but I guess these things happen. I took a risk; I sent it not knowing if it would come back again anyway. So I did know that it was a possibility, I just didn’t know that it would happen this way. Truthfully, I felt terrible that Peter felt terrible… and I’m sure it was vice versa as well.
I believe that things happen for a reason. There has got to be a reason for all of this. I believed it when my car was broken into just before Christmas in ‘07 – that if I had just turned around to see what those guys were up to… that it could have been so much worse. I chose to believe two things that day. One: That it’s a good thing I left my purse in the car – otherwise they may have went after me & not just my car window (and I had my 4 year old holding my hand) and Two: They must have needed the money much more than I did. They obviously have a sad life. It simply reminded me of my full life. I also believed that things happen for a reason when I was diagnosed with Epilepsy in ’06. I lost my driver’s license for 9 long months – perhaps I avoided a terrible accident! Or maybe that it was for my mom. After dad passed away in ’05 she didn’t have a lot of purpose in her life (at least she didn’t think so) She stayed with me each and every day for months on end. Kyler was only 3 years old & I was terrified that I would have seizure and he wouldn’t know what was going on – he would be so scared! And, yes, I even think that dad passed away for a reason. God forbid, if my mom had gone first, there’s a strong possibility that dad would have drank himself into his own grave.
So, maybe losing the pendant happened for a reason? Maybe I was losing my faith in mankind. Maybe I needed to find out that there is still good people out there! Maybe I needed to make a new friend Maybe, just maybe, Peter needed the same thing.
At one point, Peter had mentioned that I was so understanding and nice to deal with. Well, you know, it’s much easier to be understanding when you’re dealing with a nice person, as well. Truthfully, I think I would have been much, much more upset if I was dealing with someone that didn’t care.
In the meantime, I received my BEAUTIFUL new pendant, which helped even more to take the sting out of losing the other one. I love it. Correction: I LOVE it. The first words out of my 5 year old son’s mouth was “Oh mom, it’s beeeeeautiful!” Not only did the pendant come with 2 chains, but also with a nice set of earrings. This was done before he knew that the pendant had gone missing. Not only is he a good person, he is generous as well.
A couple of months later I received a package in the mail from Peter. In it was a pendant that looked just like my grandmothers… Peter had made me a stunning replica! He had gone through so much trouble for little me. I put the pendant on the white gold chain that my original pendant was on, and I felt better.
And then… another email.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Guess what????????”
And he left me hanging there! I emailed back… “hehe! What?!”
“I found your original opal!”
YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!! He found it!!!
Talk about bad timing, after he had gone through all that trouble! But he had found it nonetheless… My opal was finally coming home. Just a few more weeks to cross the world over! More patience? Sure, I got plenty! And to top it all off, I purchased a pair of earrings… that would be the cherry on top!
Seven & a half months after the pendant left Canada, it came back again. And it looked just as beautiful as ever. What an enormous weight had been lifted! And the earrings he picked out for me were just perfect. I’m wearing them now I can’t thank Peter enough. I cost him plenty of time & money, and not once did he complain to me. He was nothing but kind. He certainly didn’t have to go through all that he did.
This little pendant has quite the story now. From Spain, where my grandmother purchased it, to Holland where she lived, to Canada where I live, to Australia, and back to Canada again… and countless other places in between. If only it could speak!
Over the course of 7 & ½ months we kept in touch & learned about each other’s lives. We even shared family pictures. It’s obvious to me that he leads a good life, filled with lots of love & surrounded with good people. I’m glad that I became a tiny part of that.
Thank you, Peter, for all that you have done for me. You have restored my grandmother’s opal to new again… and perhaps just as important, you have restored my faith in humanity!
Cindy Orsten
Hi Peter, I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure doing business with you. We’ve received the opal package and my son’s eyes just lit up opening each item… and thank you for the free necklace, it is beautiful! I will always think about you when I wear it.. how kind you have been attempting to make my sons dream come true. He is now interested in getting some sort of polishing machine! I can’t wait to show him your video’s! Thanks again and I wish you all the success in the world. We need more businessmen like you in the world. I’ve posted about you on my facebook pages too! It’s been a real pleasure!
Thanks for your nice comments Cindy. It helps folks to see what opalmine stands for. thanks also for promoting us in facebook, i’m not good at that. i think i also mentioned http://pinterest.com/petren/ which is an excellent way to share pictures and of course folks often click on opalmine when they see the pics. you can make your own pinterest boards too. very handy for recording your pics and sharing them. peter
Dear Peter,
Today I received your package to find you have enclosed the lovely necklace I ordered plus matching earrings and another necklace as a gesture of goodwill. You are extremely generous and fair and I am very grateful and will tell friends of your beautiful jewellery. I sincerely hope the opals I returned to you have arrived. Thank you again.
Barbara
Barbara, you have no idea how much your comments help us on this site. Here in Australia, we are a long way from the rest of the world and sometimes its a leap of faith ordering from so far away but folks can be confident as you have reminded us that we look after you each step of the way and nowadays the world is like a big oyster. And buying online is much more personalized and convenient. just a quick email will sort out all the problems because as you know, we dont put people on a waiting list to get back to them. Dont forget your international guarantee. And it doesnt run out in just a year. thanks again Barbara, Peter
Just wanted to say a big thank you to Peter for his advice. I was considering buying a 1920s opal ring at auction and asked Peter how big an issue the crazing was, and thanks to him I was saved from buying a worthless stone! Much appreciated.
No problems Catherine. Just get in touch if you see something else you like. Pleased to give me opinion. I dont have much education but i do know opals. Best wishes, Peter
I found Peter to be very helpful, and I am very satisfied with my purchase, I know where to come with my next order, and the workmanship is first class.
Thanks again
Thanks John for letting folks know about our service. best wishes, peter