A family tradition.
A new Australian chapter.

The story begins with the stone.

I grew up around natural gemstones long before I thought of them as a business.

My family's connection with gems began in the late 1970s, when a chance encounter with ruby opened an unexpected path for my grandfather, Mr M. N. Ali. In 1984, my grandfather and my father, Mr Md Aquil, travelled together to ruby mining regions. Over time, practical knowledge of rough material, sourcing, cutting workshops and gemstone trading became part of the family's culture.

I followed a different professional path into software and technology, but gemstones remained part of my life. That combination — traditional gemstone knowledge and a technology mindset — now shapes the way I approach the industry.

A visit to Coober Pedy became an important turning point. Seeing Australian opal in the landscape where it forms changed the way I looked at the finished stone. It made me want to understand and preserve the complete journey: where it came from, who found it, how it was cut, what is known about its treatment and why that particular stone is distinctive.

“AUSTRALORA exists to present remarkable Australian opals and gems with the provenance, honesty and international presentation they deserve.”