OPAL ROUGH ((FULL))
The two types of rough opal you will find in these parcels will be nobby and seam opal. Both come from different opal fields in the region of Lightning Ridge. The nobby formation is unique to Lightning Ridge and comes in nodule form or rounded and peaked rocks. This type can show a matrix of white caps with the play of color showing underneath those caps.
OPAL ROUGH
Seam opal is a formation that is in plates or flat shapes. These are formed in fissures and cracks or cavities naturally occurring underground from the movement of the earth. How the opal can be cut will depend on which field the seam opal comes from. The majority of all opal fields in Lightning Ridge can produce top-quality opal.
Rough opals are uncut, unpolished and untreated. They are precious raw opal gemstones. They are in their original and or rubbed state, without any treatments. Uncut opal gives you the chance to experience discovering the true beauty of opals for yourself by cutting them yourselves, with our helpful guidance of course.How do I cut rough opal?
These beautiful opals from Ethiopia are among the finest opals available. The amazing patterns, intense play of color, and large sizes are a few of the reasons they have been such a hit on today's market. Not only that, they have a great price point in comparison many to other sources with similar play of color.
These pieces you see on my site are the same top quality material that we use to cut for the fine jewelry we create in our jewelry store. Many of these pieces will have amazing yield if you plan on cutting, cabbing, faceting, or carving these beautiful opals. Each piece has a different and unique play of color that is rarely seen in many other sources of opal.
Discovered in 2008, these opals are from Welo, Ethiopia. They are well known for their hydrophane properties, which means they absorb and release water (almost like a sponge). This is a great benefit to this material, and this is because it keeps the opal from drying out and crazing (cracking).
That being said, there are some special precautions that should be taken with these opals. You do not want to submerge them in water for an extended period of time, and absolutely no heavy oils should be applied to them. Oil will ruin the color and it most likely will not return. If they get wet with water, they may look milky or go clear for a few days, but the color should return. If you keep this in mind when owning your opal, you'll get to enjoy the mystic beauty for years to come.
This is a piece of raw, rough Opal. This stone is from Ethiopia and weights 18.2 carats. This piece is translucent and has stunning kaleidoscopic flashes of vivid green, red, yellow, orange, blue, and purple!
A gemstone almost alive with an intense inner fire, opals have held the attention of humans for many thousands of years. From Egypt and Classical Greece to China and the Americas, ancient civilizations valued the beauty of opal, but it is only in recent history that we've come to understand the complex nature of this unique gemstone.
This specimen is a fragment of rough opalized plant material is opalized fossil plant material from Lightning Ridge in NSW, Australia. Australia is the largest producer of opals in the world. The opal fields here date to the Cretaceous when Central Australia was home to an enormous inland sea, known to science as the Eromanga Basin. It dates to roughly 110,000,000 years old.
Unlike most gemstones, opal does not have a single crystalline lattice structure stretching throughout the material. Rather, opal is a collection of very tiny spheres of silicon-dioxide which are packed together and compressed. Scientists estimate it takes up to five million years to form a single centimeter of natural opal.The "fire" of opal is the result of diffraction as light passes through the silicon-dioxide sphere within the stone.
As noted above, this particular specimen is opalized fossil plant material from Lightning Ridge in NSW, Australia. Australia is the largest producer of opal in the world. The opal fields here date to the Cretaceous when Central Australia was home to an enormous inland sea, known to science as the Eromanga Basin (or Sea).The Eromanga Basin in Central Australia was home to a great inland sea for about 95 million years during the Mesozoic Era. This sea was home to many forms of marine life including Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, and Ammonites. The deposits in Lightning Ridge date to roughly 110,000,000 years old.Further ReadingEckert, Allan W. The World of Opals. John Wiley & Sons, 1997.Leechman, Frank. The Opal Book.
Opals were born of water and silica and some need to stay in their natural element. Specimens are for all the collectors out there that love to display their Opals but don't need to wear them. These opals need to stay hydrated in water, dehydration can result in damage to these opals. No worries though, every Specimen Opal order comes with a jar! 041b061a72