Altmann + Cherny

What Altmann + Cherny does

Altmann + Cherny is a third-generation, family-owned Australian opal jewellery retailer founded in 1948 by German immigrants John Altmann and Rudi Cherny. The company operates a single flagship showroom at 18 Pitt Street in Sydney's CBD near Circular Quay, complemented by an e-commerce storefront serving domestic and international customers via FedEx International Priority shipping. Its product portfolio spans six categories — Black Opal Pendants, Light Opal Pendants, Boulder Opal Pendants, Rings, Earrings, Brooches, and Bracelets — with individual pieces ranging from approximately A$540 in sterling silver to over A$245,720 for premium black opal, all backed by a five-year warranty.

The company is fully vertically integrated: it sources rough opal directly from miners at Australian fields including Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy, Andamooka, and Queensland boulder fields, then performs all cutting, polishing, and jewellery manufacturing in-house. Head Designer and Managing Director Fiona Altmann (third generation) creates bespoke pieces where the natural shape and colour of each opal drives the design. The firm holds iconic specimens on permanent showroom display, including the Olympic Australis — Guinness-certified as the world's largest and most valuable gem opal — and the Andamooka Opal presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 1954.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct-to-consumer one-time sales of individually priced pieces, with no subscription, licensing, or recurring revenue streams. The customer base is primarily affluent individual luxury jewellery consumers plus international tourists visiting the Sydney showroom, with secondary historical sales to museums and state institutions. The firm employs approximately six people, including three Managing Directors from the founding families and dedicated sales and marketing staff, operating without external investors, parent entities, or subsidiaries.

Name

Altmann + Cherny

Legal name

Altmann + Cherny

Website

https://altmanncherny.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Altmann + Cherny is a third-generation, family-owned Sydney retailer and e-commerce seller of Australian opal jewellery, vertically integrated from mining-sourced rough opal to finished pieces, serving affluent individual luxury consumers and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Opal Jewellery

NAICS

Jewelry Retailers (458310), Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing (33991)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Jewelry, Precious Metal (3911)

akta.pro primary industry

Precious Metal Jewelry (Gold/Platinum/Silver) (CRAKAAAD)

Keywords

• Opal jewellery
• Fine jewellery
• Custom jewellery design
• Australian opals
• Gem cutting polishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Opal Jewellery Retail: Altmann + Cherny generates revenue through the direct sale of Australian opal jewellery. They buy opals directly from miners, cut and polish them, and manufacture jewellery in-house. Products span a wide range from inexpensive gifts to very fine gems, with prices ranging from approximately A$540 to over A$245,000 per item. The company offers a five-year warranty including exchanges or repairs for damaged pieces or stone replacement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Altmann + Cherny sources Australian opals directly from local miners, cuts and polishes them in-house, and designs and manufactures finished opal jewellery — including pendants, rings, earrings, brooches, and bracelets — sold through its Sydney flagship showroom and online shop. It also supplies cut opals and finished pieces to museums and state institutions, and offers custom jewellery design and jewellery repair services.

Product overview

Altmann + Cherny is a family-owned Australian opal jewellery company founded in 1948, specializing in Australian opal jewellery. The company operates as a direct-from-miner supplier, designing and manufacturing jewellery in-house. Their product portfolio consists of opal jewellery across six main categories: Black Opal Pendants (sourced from Lightning Ridge, NSW), Light Opal Pendants (from Coober Pedy and Andamooka, SA), Boulder Opal Pendants (from Queensland), Opal Rings, Opal Earrings, Opal Brooches, and Opal Bracelets. They also exhibit famous opals including the Olympic Australis at their Sydney showroom. The company offers a five-year warranty on all pieces and sells directly through their Pitt Street showroom and online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Black Opal Pendants Pendants set with Australian Black Opals, handcrafted in-house and sold to individual customers seeking high-end, distinctive black opal jewellery.
• Light Opal Pendants Pendants set with Australian Light Opals, designed and manufactured in-house for individual customers seeking premium light opal jewellery.
• Boulder Opal Pendants Pendants set with Australian Boulder Opals, handcrafted in-house for individual customers seeking premium boulder opal jewellery.
• Opal Rings Rings set with Australian opals, designed and manufactured in-house for individual customers seeking premium opal rings.
• Opal Earrings Earrings set with Australian opals, handcrafted in-house for individual customers seeking premium opal earrings.
• Opal Brooches Brooches set with Australian opals, handcrafted in-house for individual customers seeking premium opal brooches.
• Opal Bracelets Bracelets set with Australian opals, handcrafted in-house for individual customers seeking premium opal bracelets.
• Custom Jewellery Design & Bespoke Commissions Bespoke jewellery design and commission service where the company designs and manufactures custom opal jewellery pieces to individual customer specifications, leveraging in-house design, cutting, and master jewellery-making capabilities.
• Cut Opals & Opal Supply for Museums and State Institutions Supply of cut and polished Australian opals and finished opal jewellery to museums and state institutions for collections and displays.

Quantifiable outcome

• Five-year warranty including exchanges or repairs if a piece is damaged or requires stone replacement.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cartier: Global high jewellery maison explicitly cited as deriving inspiration from Australian opal. Operates at the apex of luxury jewellery pricing and indirectly competes for the same HNW collector customer base as A+C's premium Black Opal Pendants.
• Piaget: Swiss high jewellery and watch maison also cited as drawing inspiration from Australian opal colour palettes. Comparable as a luxury incumbent at the top of the price ladder, with global distribution A+C cannot match.
• Linneys: Established Australian bespoke jeweller with multiple showrooms across Perth and Sydney. Comparable high-end custom jewellery positioning but with a broader portfolio beyond opals, including Argyle pink diamonds and coloured gemstones.
• Walker & Hall: Australian heritage jewellery house with broader gemstone offering. Comparable in long-standing Australian retail jewellery history and premium positioning, though with a wider product portfolio.
• Tiffany & Co. Global luxury jewellery incumbent with high jewellery ateliers that use Australian opals as inspiration. Comparable at the high-end of the price ladder, though Tiffany's portfolio is heavily diamond-centric and global in scale.
• Solid Gold Diamonds: Sydney-based bespoke jeweller focusing on high-end diamond engagement rings and custom pieces. Comparable premium showroom experience and bespoke design service in the same Sydney market, though specialising in diamonds rather than opals.
• Mondial Jewellers: Sydney heritage bespoke jeweller offering custom design across diamonds, coloured gemstones, and opals. Comparable luxury positioning and custom craftsmanship, with a wider product mix than A+C's opal-only focus.

Direct peers

• Opal Minded: Sydney-based Australian opal specialist designing and manufacturing fine opal jewellery. Closest direct competitor: same city, same gemstone category, similar bespoke design approach and direct-to-consumer showroom model.
• Coober Pedy Opal: Australian opal company operating from the source region of Coober Pedy. Competes directly in rough opal sourcing and finished jewellery, with a similar end-customer focus on collectors and gift buyers of Australian opals.
• Australian Opal Cutters: Long-standing Australian opal manufacturer and retailer selling directly to consumers globally. Comparable in vertical integration (cutting, polishing, jewellery manufacturing) and emphasis on direct-from-Australian-mine sourcing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altmanncherny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Altmann + Cherny