Australian Boulder Opal Direct from the Duck Creek, and Winton Opal Mines

Opals are, in my opinion, one of the most magical and transfixing stones one  could lever set eyes on! Some say they contain Tiny Galaxies or Nebulas within them, & some say they embody the power of Water Frozen in Time! :) Most Opals will captivate the attention of both Gemstone lovers, Lapidary Artists and the casual observer, all just the same. They are sparkly, have depth, and reflect tiny rainbows of color, and each have their own unique look, that makes Opal. one of the most rare, sought after, and highly valuable Stones on the Market today

Opals are a member of the Phenomenal Gemstone Family. They are a type of Silica that contain water called Hydrated Amorphous Silica and can actually contain up to about 20% water! Most Opals have closer to 5-10% water in them and can be considered more stable. However in general, Opal is considered quite fragile as they can crack, fissure / fracture, and craze quite easily, and have a Moh’s Hardness of 5-6, which means that the Opal in general, is considered to be fairly soft and a very delicate Stone to work with. Thus, it takes a highly Experienced Lapidary Artist, who has acquired knowledge from experience, and a very stable hand, that can cut, & Polish this stone into a Cabochon or Faceted GemStone for Finished Pieces for Jewelry.

There are many different varieties of this Gemstone and most often, the specimens that are most common and found the most are called “Potch” Opal. Potch Opal is the more abundant of the 2 varieties and is quite a dull stone. The colors range from milky white to dull yellows, containing iron oxide which are naturally red, and even black when carbon or manganese oxides are present. Potch Opals have the ability to catch light, if given the right atmosphere and angle, and some even glow from within, but without the characteristic rainbow of colors, which most Opals are known for. Their unique luster is known as Opalescence. 

Precious Opals, on the other hand are very rare, and highly sought after, due to the wide spectrum of Color they emit. Some, like the Opal above, resemble nearly every color of the rainbow, making this stone highly valuable one, and a good investment for collector's. 

Opal is formed when water seeps into cracks and fissures in other rocks and brings along with it microscopic spheres of Silica and sometimes other minerals it has picked up in its travels. Over thousands of years the water is slowly and gently evaporated away leaving behind the Silica to settle into an orderly arrangement of molecules, and hardens down into a – mostly – solid mass. When the Silica is settled into an orderly pattern with similarly sized molecules in an undisturbed environment, they act as a defraction grating, and light is defracted into different colors of the rainbow - their color play is fantastic and magical! The larger the Silica spheres, the greater the color range. When the Silica molecules are of different sizes and/or settle unevenly due to disturbance, there is no color-play and you get Potch Opals. 

WHERE ARE THEY FROM?

There are many places on this planet where Opal can be found, however today there are 3 major producers. Australia, Ethiopia, Mexico. Honorable mention goes to the USA. 

Australia is the chief producer of Precious Opal with deposits being found in South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales. The Lightning Ridge mine in New South Wales is an especially famous mine, producing the rare black opal with dark gray to black undertones and beautiful play of color. The discovery of this Opal field was in 1903, and until that time, Black Opal was pretty much unheard of. Black Opals are still the rarest of all the Opals in the world and the most highly sought after. Coober Pedy in South Australia is known as “The Opal Capital” of the world. The first opal was discovered here in 1915, and since then, over 70 mining shafts were established, and it became the largest Opal mining area in the world, as well as the largest producer of Gem Quality Precious Opal in the world.

Fun Fact: Coober Pedy is an aboriginal phrase and when translated means literally “White Man in a Hole”. Other mines of note that you may have heard of in Australia are Duck Creek, Winton, Jundah, Koroit, Mintabie, Quilpie, and Yowah. All produce distinct and unique styles of a variety of different Opals.

AUSTRALIAN BOULDER OPAL

Boulder Opal is a type of Opal that forms within a matrix stone called Ironstone. The Ironstone itself can be rather metallic looking and is usually a darker reddish orange or brown and make the rainbow of colors, pop in contrast. They usually come from the Queensland Australia region and have a rabid following. 

Koroite Opal is a type of Boulder Opal that has a distinct pattern of Ironstone in which the small deposits of opal will settle. The pattern is unique and different in each stone. The red and brown Matrix, surrounds the Opal itself, and when cut, comes out to be in my opinion, one of the most beautiful pieces of artwork that opal has to offer.

Yowah Nuts are ironstone nodules, that contain a pocket of brillant play of color in the opal. Opalized Ironstone “Nuts” are fairly rare and are quite a treat when cracked open to find the rainbow goodness inside, that unlocks the mysteries of the galaxy within each one.

White Opal Is the opposite of the Black Opal, and not as sought after, though it is more commonly used in jewelry and still costs a pretty penny for ones that have some color throughout. The more dark the color tone of the opal is, the more value it has. Though, the body color in these white opals, are translucent to an opaque white color with plenty of play of color. They are most notably from the Coober Pedy mine in Australia. 

 

METAPHYSICAL:

Opals are most well-known to magnify your own traits and characteristics. Opals are also very well known to help one recognize and harness the creativity and inspiration that lies within each of us! One source states that Opals are the "stone of happy dreams and changes" meaning that the recognition of your inner self, creativity, and potentials can foster change towards bettering your life, through beautiful changes from within. Opals have been used to awaken psychic abilities and harness the mysticism of intuition and insight, and the gifts of which, can push one towards greater understanding of one’s self both in the physical and sacred forms of being. Black Opals are a stone of truth and protection.