Peter Semrad
By professional background geologist and mining engineer, by soul rather mineralogist and amateurish historian. He proclaims himself writer and particularly opalholic. His favourite words are “Do what you love, love what you do!”
The author started his love affair with the European opal as early as the 1990s. He participated in summer youth camps aimed at the preservation of the unique old opal mines at Červenica-Dubník in 1992, 1993 and 1994. They were in fact the chief instigator for his interests in minerals from, and the mining history of, the locality. He went on to promote the gem and the place where it was mined by way of publishing various materials, such as books, papers, articles, postcards and posters. Over time he managed to establish good contacts with mineral collectors, geologists, gemmologists, jewellers, archivists and curators in museums who were willing to share their professional and relevant knowledge and various materials for study and publishing purposes. The author has been so fortunate in this respect that the amassed information about the European opal and its locality is now so extensive as to be unsuitable for publication in one volume. He therefore decided to start a new project. Namely an edition titled ‘European Precious Opal from Dubník’ alias ‘EurOpal’. The gem, and the area where it was mined for a long time, deserves such deep attention.