Lightning Ridge Black Opal Picture guide for the major groups
Opal Picture Guide: This guide will help identify the different types and show how to recognize them. We first start with Lightning Ridge Black Opal. Visit the opalmine shop here
Black Opal, when found with a natural black or dark background, is called ‘black opal’. This background can range from pitch black to grey giving the stone are dark-ish appearance and when seen from the top is opaque [Not allowing light to pass through].
It is the dark background which allows the brilliant colors. Black opal can be any color. The specimen pictured has a dominant color of blue. It is approximately 1-1/2 cm in length.[This particular stone has now sold].
crystal opal carving from Lightning Ridge
Opal Picture Guide-Dark Opal Dark opal is found on most fields. It’s background color ranges from grey to near black.. Black opals are in the same family as Dark opals (also opaque- not allowing light to pass through). They are just dark opals with a blacker background.
As the background of this stone becomes lighter and grayer it gets closer to light opal and its sometimes difficult to decide whether a dark opal should be categorized as dark or light. It’s often in the eye of the beholder.
Example of contrasting colors in boulder opalBrilliant red blue green boulder opal
Boulder Opal
A form of black or dark opal although it must be said that there are light colored boulder opals as well as dark and black.Boulder opals are still attached to the mother rock that they were born in.
The latest Opal Nomenclature identifies Boulder opal as being black opal as well. The term ‘black opal’ does not identify the origin of the stone but rather its appearance.
Boulder opals often have the same dense color as Lightning Ridge stones and hence are placed in the category of Black Opals. Most (but not all) boulder opals have flat tops and stones from Lightning Ridge are often high domed.
However Boulders often have more denseness and brilliance than gems from Lightning Ridge at a more competitive price. Boulder gems often have ironstone inclusions in the foreground which reduces their price but in the opinion of many, add to the personality of the stone.Video of high grade black boulder opal
Yowah nut opal
Yowah opal: This is a variety of boulder opal that comes in the form of small ‘nut-like’ lumps that, when cut, have layers of ironstone mixed with color and sometimes, rarely, a kernel of precious opal. These beautiful pieces are collectors items, each one totally unique in the world. examples shown here.
From the Quilpie opal fields in western Queensland. Often these specimens are left exactly as they have been found in the ground and are used for display purposes in people’s gemstone collections.
Because Boulder opal, as far as we know, is only found in one place on the planet, that is Queensland, Australia, you can imagine that specimens like this are in high demand
Five chunks of boulder opal split from one large piece
Split faced boulder As the title indicates, this is a boulder opal that has been split along the vein of color, resulting in two identical pieces, one concave and one convex.
This amazing natural appearance results in an identical pair that can be used as earrings if they are small enough or for specimen collectors. This pair comes into the second category as they would be a bit much to wear on the ears.
Interesting lines of color in boulder opal
Opal Picture guide: Boulder opal Abstracts
(this is our terminology and is not an official description) but we feel that it best describes the endless varieties of these unusual opals often call ‘fun stones’, an expression that really doesn’t tell you anything about what they are.
Please note that the boulder opals in this video have sold. Please gohereto see more
Take a look here at our gallery of picture stones, if you have not already done so.
Koala carving from solid white opalboulder opal Indian chiefBoulder opal Turtle
Opal Picture guide: Opal Carvings
As the term suggests, opal, both boulder ironstone and white or black opal is often used to carve figurines.
Opal ‘pair of sheep’Giraffe skin“The Shrimp”Opal ‘bird’‘the Slipper’Rainbow dropOpal Cascades
Picture Stones have received this name because from time to time as an opal is opened up from inside a boulder opal (particularly) or a black opal, something comes out that amazingly looks like an item from nature, such as an animal, a rainbow, a bird, a fish, etc. the variety is endless.
the Opal Rose – crystal or white opal
White Opal A solid opal with an opaque [non see-through] light background. White opal is often called milk opal because of its light appearance.
Crystal opal is of the same family but it is more translucent and sometimes transparent whereas the color of white opal is on the surface.
This type of opal can appear in all fields but Coober Pedy is famous for it. Some people prefer the more delicate, less dramatic appearance of the white opal. Crystal opal holds a certain fascination because the eye is able to look deep into the stone and gaze at its internal mysteries.
Opal crystalJelly crystal
Light Opal crystal (sometimes called ‘jelly’ opal) This type of opal does not have a dark or black background and hence has a more delicate, less dramatic appearance because the surface is not opaque and the light is able to shine either right through the stone, or at least INTO it
Dark OpalLarge slab of Dark Opal
Dark Opal Crystal This is when the crystal opal has a darker appearance within it’s body. Dark opal describes the in-between status of the stone.
Its not white opal and its not black opal, its a progression between the two types. This illustrates the marvelous complexity of the opal stone and the difficulty we have in arriving at accurate definitions.
When its all boiled down, opal is at the mercy of the beholder. What appeals to one person will not be as appealing to another. But isn’t that what life is all about? We are open to choices.
Andamooka “painted lady” specimen
Andamooka Painted Lady This stone is what could be called the South Australian ‘boulder opal’. Not because it is boulder ironstone but because it comes in large chunks like boulder and is often split out of the ground along the lines of color.
It is pale in appearance but sometimes has some dark potch in the background of the color which gives it an attractive feature and is another example of a type of black opal because any opal with a black background is in this category.
Opal Mosaic turtle brooch18×13 mm mosaic opals
Mosaic Opal
The previously described opals are all naturally formed. Mosaic opal is created by a skilled artist who assembles the small pieces of natural opal into a mosaic pattern.
These Slivers of genuine opal are assembled into an irregular tiled pattern with rivers of black potch framing each unique opal tile.
Mosaic opals make stunning stones for all types of jewelry and allow the jeweler to include a wide range of colors within an affordable piece.
This assembly of small opal pieces is not to be confused with the Harlequin opal which features squarish spangles of color appearing naturally in the opal face. It is the rarest and most expensive opal.
Yowah matrixYowah Matrix‘eye’ of opalgreen opal matrixBoulder pairmatrix specimens
Matrix OpalThis type of opal comes in two categories namely:
Fish carving
Boulder Matrix which is a completely natural stone made up of boulder ironstone with flecks of precious opal showing throughout the stone.
These come in endless varieties from Winton to Yowah and Koroit. Usually found in association with boulder opal which tends to have larger faces of opal found in veins, whereas the matrix opal color is scattered throughout the body of the mother ironstone.
These amazing opals come in such variety and are much sought after by opal collectors.
Large Andamooka Matrix Specimen
Andamooka Matrix is a natural stone that, when it comes out of the ground is quite pale in appearance. By impregnating it with a black carbon process, the stone turns dark and when cut and polished, takes on the appearance of black opal.
However, keep in mind that even though the stone is natural, there is a man made treatment involved which has to be stated at point of sale.
Composite Opals are natural opals that have been assembled with a dark or black background that is cemented in place so that the stone takes on the appearance of black opal.
Opal is one of the only stones that can cater both for someone who can afford a large amount of money or someone who only has a few dollars.
Composite opals such as doublets, triplets, and mosaics are still real opals and can be stated as such with the qualification that they have been assisted by man with the installation of a dark backing, or in the case of triplets, with a crystal protective cap as well. for further general research on gemstones click here
We hope that you have benefited by this picture guide to the opal.
104 Responses
Dear Mr. Peter,
Could you perhaps tell me something?.
I found a nice ring, at the cycle.
I'm curious if this is opal
Would you please. with your expert eyes,would like to take a look at this?
The color remains the same under water.
How beautiful your expertise.
My sincere thanks in advance.
Mary
Dear Sir or Madam,Hi Peter!
Hope you can help me to find out if this opals are natural Stones and maybe where there from? If the picture is not good enough, please let me know!
Thank you very much in advance, stay save and best regards manon
I BOUGHT A FEW PIECES OF OPALS FROM eBAY. tHEY ARE FROM LIGHTNING RIDGE. cAN i WORK WITH A ROTARY TOOL CUT AND POLISH THE STONES? i KNOW A FEW ARE WHITE CRYSTAL i BELIEVE. i CAN SEND YOU A PIC ON EMAIL.
My mother wore this ring for about twenty years that I can remember almost all the time. What do I use to clean; you can see dirt around one of the side prongs (looks like triangle with prong going through center). The opal measures approximately 12mm x 5mm and is about 4mm high. Thank you!
Reading through realize pics might not be close enough so here is another set. The pinking purple pic is with the flash on. No idea what this opal is or where mother acquired, just that she loved it and wore it almost always.
Hi my names analyse. My grandad gave this to my brother when we were little and have just come across it, I was wondering if its real and worth anything?
Thankyou 🙂
Dear Sirs, we are looking for solid opals,small size ( 4-8mm ).Cut:rectangular,trilliant,round. 20-30 pices each order. Colour( very important !!!! ):like your picture in your site ” doublet parcel” we mean: intense blue Crystal. Best regards MB
Peter – cracking website. so informative – thank you! I’ve got a Percy Marks stick pin in the family, which I believe may be black opal. Any guidance you can provide would be well received! the stone itself is about 1.3cm x 0.8cm. maybe 0.3cm deep. From the front, the stone has an almost uniform green/blue ‘flash’, but viewed through the backside of the stone is a muted purplish pink – will send pictures through!
Keep up the good work! Best regards
Robin
Robin its difficult to see whether its a solid opal or a doublet. its pretty well impossible unless its taken out of its setting. If it is opal it could either be a doublet or a solid black or boulder opal.
Hi! I got this boulder opal from my grandmother before she past away, She did buy it in austrailia about 40-50 years ago. the smaller opal weight is 0,330 gram.
i wounder how much this stone is worth, thanks.
Sophie, i cant really tell by looking at the picture but it looks like its from the Coober Pedy field in Australia. Its a really interesting opal with striped pattern.
Rob, regarding your opal, i will ask our site manager to find out why you could not post it. the program is supposed to reduce the size automatically. in the meantime i will send you an email and explain how you can reduce the size. Peter
A few years ago I purchased some opal still in the matrix from an old collector. I ground away the matrix with a flex shaft tool. Most was light blue, but this one piece was different. I hand lapped and polished it. I don’t think I have polished it to it’s full potential, but I am really afraid to go further myself. ( I work mainly in agate). What is it, and is it worth have a professional cutter look at it to see if the polish can be improved? I left the matrix on the back, it is light colored.
Frank, this is a typical example of a black or dark opal from the Mintabie opal field in South Australia, north of the Coober Pedy mine. Its a lovely piece. just clean the back up a bit but dont cut it two thin. its perfectly ok to leave the white sandstone type material on the back as long as you clean it back to reasonably smooth. no need to put a high polish on it. not sure of the quality of your polish on the front but you will need to finish it off with a paste of cerium oxide. if you need some help with cutting click here the color looks to be worth in the vicinity of three to four hundred dollars per carat. not sure of the weight but if that is a dime coin next to it, its probably around 7 carats. so it could be worth around $3000 cant tell exactly. Hope that helps. peter
Hi – have had this ring for about 15 years, apparently set by my Nan in around 1970 from a Coober Pedy opal my Dad sent her when he was living there…any insights as far as the value goes? I know it’s probably hard to tell just from a picture but I noticed how helpful you’ve been with other commenters and thought it worth a go! It’s set in 14k gold. Thanks 🙂
Jacqui, it sure is a nice piece. Probably crystal opal from Andamooka in South Australia. From the picture it looks like its a doublet because most Andamooka opal is crystal and hence more pale, unless its an Andamooka black opal. Cant really tell from the picture. if you look at the back and its either a grey or black color, its more than likely a doublet and would be worth around $1500. If its a black opal its worth more like $5000 but i doubt it. Hope that helps. Peter
PS. Jacqui, if you get some time please Please follow and rate opalmine by clicking here
Or paste this into your browser: https://plus.google.com/102995504959810313699/about?hl=en
It helps us continue this free service. best wishes
Hello. I found your site after I took this photo a ring that was my Grandmother’s for a photo project. I realized I really don’t know much about the ring, how old, what kind of opals, etc. I do know it is quite old but that’s about it. I just love this ring and would love any information you might be able to provide.
Thank you so much!
Leslie, the opal ring you sent a picture of is a cluster of solid white or crystal opals from the Coober Pedy field in South Australia. I cant tell you the age of the ring but nowadays it would sell retail possibly for around $500 to $700 in my opinion. Hope that helps, peter
Chanced upon your site while searching for a way to safely clean Opal jewelry. Learned a Lot… Outstanding site. I read many of the comments back and forth and must say that you do a wonderful job of assisting your contacts. I will be checking in every once in a while and will probably become a customer. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise in such a down to earth manner. Easily understood and extremely helpful.
Re: Opal jewelry cleaning. Rick thanks so much for your encouraging words. Not enough of it in this world!! Pleased to help if i can. Rick if you get a chance sometime please give us a rating and a follow as below:
paste this into your browser: https://plus.google.com/102995504959810313699/about?hl=en
It just helps us in the search engines. very best wishes, peter
Hi, I tried to match this with all opals, not quite sure what type is this, the fire rolling all over the top is quite amazing. I know it’s an opal, just no idea what type. Please help!
Mandy the opal face is not clearly seen but it could be a treated opal from Andamooka in south Australia. They come out of the ground a pale color and after carbon treatment they take on a black opal appearance. Thats the best i can say without a clearer picture. hope that helps, peter
Mandy this looks like a high qualiy black opal from Lightning Ridge. Of course i cant tell without having it outside its setting but i am pretty sure it is. Its very high quality and could be worth in the vicinity of $1000. Incidentally, to help our site so that we can continue giving this free service please go to: https://plus.google.com/102995504959810313699/about?hl=en and give us a follow and a rating. it helps us in the search engines. very best wishes, peter
Hello,
This opal ring has been in the family for quite some time. It’s flat cut on top, slightly ruff and is an older setting that may be from the 1930’s (?). I have never had anyone look at it. It’s quite large – 3 cm x 1.5 cm. My mother wore this as a cocktail ring. Can you tell me anything about it? Thanks so much!
Chad, it sure is an amazingly large opal. its difficult to tell what type of opal it is but by the color and the shape, it seems to be a boulder opal, from either the Quilpie or Winton area in western Queensland. I would say, if the setting is 14 or 18k gold, it would be worth around $3000 retail. If its silver or silver gold plated you could reduce that by around $500. This is only an approximate without actually seeing the ring. Hope that helps. Best wishes Chad. Peter
Thank you. I received this ring in new condition about 1 month ago. When I put it under water, the color actually increases. Especially the red/orange.
Thank you Peter. I have only had this ring about a month, I noticed yesterday that when I run my nail across the surface, I can feel some fine “scratches” … I am worried about the fragility. But I also want to wear it as much as I can, while taking the best care of it. Can you give me any advice? Ideally, the only time I will remove it is at work because of hygiene (I’m a nurse) … also I often use alcohol based hand sanitizer and wash my hands many times throughout the day. Will this harm the stone? I am attaching some more pictures so that you can see how high the dome is. Also, the picture from underneath — can you tell if this is a solid stone and not a triplicate? Thank you so much. And how do I clean it? I also have another milkier white oval pendant opal that is about 100 years old, I want to be able to take the best care of these opals as they are my birthstone, as well as my daughters, they will be hers one day. Thank you for your help in sharing your expertise and knowledge. Arlene
Its a solid opal Arlene, but i am not sure of the origin of the stone. If you put it in water and the color fades, it will be an Ethiopian opal so you have to take extra care of it. they are called hydrophane opals. they say the color returns when it dries out but i would be careful. how long have you had it? that will give me a clue because these type of opals have only been sold in the last 5 years or so commercially. Australian opal is not effected by water or just about anything else but its always wise to be a bit careful wearing expensive rings of any kind in work situations. you can easily dislodge a claw and lose a stone.
Arlene this is a really nice high domed crystal opal ring probably originating from either the cooper pedy or lightning ridge opal fields. orange-green. Of course without analyzing it properly, this is the best i can say. it could come from somewhere else as well, but that’s my opinion. Let me know if i can help further. but hope that gives you an idea, Best regards, Peter
Hello I brought an opal and tested it under a black light (ultra violet light) after I turned the light off the stone continued to glow for a few seconds after. Is this normal or could it be a fake?
the picture is too dark to identify it but i have tried to lighten it and it looks like a very large crystal opal. i would guess that it could be from Africa although it could come from and of the australian fields as well. difficult to tell its value without much better pictures.
“opal picture” not good enough to identify it accurately but it looks like a very large piece of crystal opal probably from Africa but it could come from any of the Australian fields as well.
without me actually seeing and feeling it there is no way of telling but by the look of it its definitely a real opal and i would say its from Ethiopia. Just soak it in water and if it loses its color i am right. this opal is called hydrophane. its porous and soaks up water but the color will probably come back as it dries out. Best kept as a specimen because of possible cracking problems. peter
Hello again thank you for your info. I was wondering if it’s about the same with this one. How can I tell if they are real opals and do you know where I could go to get them checked?
rough opal picture Jennifer, this is a typical piece of rough crystal opal. it could be from a number of different mines both in Australia and perhaps Africa and Mexico. From an Australian point of view it looks like a stone from Coober pedy in south Australia, but material like this can also be found in the Lightning Ridge area. If its thick enough to cut and polish, it could finish at around 5 to 7 carats with a value of possibly $100 per carat retail, so it could be worth between $500 and $800 but this is only a rough estimate. hope that helps.
Dear sir
May I ask 3 questions please?
1. Ten years ago, I was bought a set of mosaic opal cuflinks. They are matched, but one remains brilliant, the other less so, with a milky appearance in parts. I cannot remember if it was like that when I got them. I’ve cleaned with vinegar since, but no real difference. Is this intended or is it a flaw, or is it likely moisture has got into it.
2. How are they made – just with a backing like a doublet (and between the opal chips) or like a triplet with a resin surface too? These cuflinks have a roughness to the touch, suggesting a bare surface. I’ll try to attach a photo
3 . Time has moved on, And I think I can probably look for bkack opal cuflinks now. What do I look for, and will they damage easily – I work at desk and they inevitably scrape the desk or keyboards etc?
Thank you
Paul
opal cuff link problem: Paul, pleased to make some comments. mosaic opals are made from small pieces of opal. they are cemented onto a dark background usually with the assistance of epoxy resins. for some reason one of your stones has not been made well. perhaps there was some moisture there when the mosaic was being put together. unfortunately its almost impossible to correct this without a huge amount of work but if you do have a lot of time on your hands, the only way to do it would be to soak the offending stone in metholated spirits. its also called wood alcohol. check it every day or so. eventually all the little pieces will dislodge and then you would need to spray the background of the stone with flat black spray paint, then, when the paint dries,m painstakingly with epoxy resin, glue all the little pieces back together again. if the opal was oval, i could easily replace the stone but because its square its very difficult because all of my mosaics are oval in shape. so that’s about all i can suggest, unless you want to just buy a new set here with an international guarantee that does not run out. Peter
I was given a price of fossilized wood that has these white bubbly formations inside of it. The person qho have it to me said he got it at withlacoochee river. They have a background of red amber and black/blue-ish color. Is it the beginning of an opal formation?
Saheb, not sure what you would like to know. do you want to buy an opal? peter صاحب، آپ کو جاننا چاہوں گا کہ کیا بات کا یقین نہیں. آپ کو ایک دودیا پتھر خریدنے کے لئے چاہتے ہیں؟ پیٹر
hello i want to know what is needed to make mattrix opal,i have been told a couple ways but its not correct wondering if you can send to my email what i need to bring the coloure out please.they call it cooking of the opal.regards merv.
my uncle passed away and hes done a lot of opal mineing hes got opals from ligting ridge cooperpeddy hes got other stones look like dimonds and lots of gems so many of them need to get them valued he cut and polish them himself hes got all the tools could you please help who do we get out to value them
Susan, we have had a few technical problems in the blog of opalmine.com and i am just checking on some comments made. Many apologies for not getting back to you earlier. please comment again if you would like. very best wishes, Peter
I found an opal in coober Pedy 20 years ago that is in the shape of a small seashell (similar to a clam). Is it possible that the shell has fossilized w/ opal?…is it rare?..it’s about an inch wide.
Thanks,
John
Yes John, there are many opals found in Coober Pedy and some in LIghtning Ridge which are actually fossils of all sorts of sea creatures and other things. Opal shells are getting rarer, depending on the quality. if you like you can submit a picture so that we can see what you have. best wishes, Peter
I was wondering if you had anymore specific information on the Black Opal? I was also wondering if any types of opals have been discovered in SPACE? I’m not sure if you are the right person to ask but have there ever been any opals or gems/rocks of any kinds discovered from a meteor? Please get back to me, thanks so much!
Grace, thanks for your interesting question. I will post a new article on the black opal subject on this site. just submit your details in the contacts section so that i will get an email reminder. I heard something about opals being discovered on Mars. Here is an article about it. Just how much you can believe that of course is dubious, but its certainly interesting. Peter
PS. I just noticed that the link i have installed here just takes you to another section of opalmine regarding black opals and does not link to the Mars article. Site manager checking into this at present.
Thats interesting Dee. ive heard that they have found indications of opal on Mars as well. should be interesting to check if they ever get there. peter
Hi Ali, the term ‘fire opal’ is often applied to Mexican opal usually, i believe, which is an orangy-red mostly without a play of color. The use of the term ‘fire’ is often applied in Australia to any opal of any color as long as the color is dynamic and not subdued. Of course there are many opinions and termanologies applied to opal but if you look at any of the bright images in this site, they could be said to contain ‘fire’ I have written an article on the new opal nomenclature so if you would like to see it, just let me know and i will email it to you. best wishes Ali, Peter
Our opal earrings look like the surface might be a chip of brilliant colours in the sun that at a point looks like a diamond, however the opal is not straight through. I was wondering what kind it is, perhaps it is too expensive to be an opal solid on the other hand maybe it is…?
Mr or Mrs Webster. Its really difficult to give an opinion without seeing the stone. if you have a digital camera with a macro (close-up) ability, please take a couple of pictures and send it to me. But first list your information through the contacts form here: http://www.opals.co/contact-us/ and i will be able to talk to you direct by email and you can send me a picture and i will do whatever possible to help you identify the opal. Thanks for contributing to the site, and please accept our kind regards from opalmine, Australia, Peter
Dear Mr. Peter,
Could you perhaps tell me something?.
I found a nice ring, at the cycle.
I'm curious if this is opal
Would you please. with your expert eyes,would like to take a look at this?
The color remains the same under water.
How beautiful your expertise.
My sincere thanks in advance.
Mary
Mary, sorry voor het late antwoord. ik heb je post gemist. stuur alsjeblieft een foto van je opaal naar dit forum en ik zal een kijkje nemen, Peter
Dear Sir or Madam,Hi Peter!
Hope you can help me to find out if this opals are natural Stones and maybe where there from? If the picture is not good enough, please let me know!
Thank you very much in advance, stay save and best regards manon
Manon, sure send a couple of pics through and I will take a look. peter
I BOUGHT A FEW PIECES OF OPALS FROM eBAY. tHEY ARE FROM LIGHTNING RIDGE. cAN i WORK WITH A ROTARY TOOL CUT AND POLISH THE STONES? i KNOW A FEW ARE WHITE CRYSTAL i BELIEVE. i CAN SEND YOU A PIC ON EMAIL.
amelia sorry for the late reply. contact me on live chat and I’ll send you an article on the subject. peter
Amelia have a read of my book to get the full picture of how to cut and deal in opal: https://issuu.com/brusaschi/docs/opal_bloke_book-free_version-revised
peter
Can you please help me figure out if this is opal or glass
Mary ill email you so you can send me a picture. peter
My mother wore this ring for about twenty years that I can remember almost all the time. What do I use to clean; you can see dirt around one of the side prongs (looks like triangle with prong going through center). The opal measures approximately 12mm x 5mm and is about 4mm high. Thank you!
Reading through realize pics might not be close enough so here is another set. The pinking purple pic is with the flash on. No idea what this opal is or where mother acquired, just that she loved it and wore it almost always.
Hi my names analyse. My grandad gave this to my brother when we were little and have just come across it, I was wondering if its real and worth anything?
Thankyou 🙂
analyse, i sent you an email so you can send me a picture. peter
Thank you! Any value?
Oh, and being from America and geography challenged, Where/What is NSW?
Dear Sirs, we are looking for solid opals,small size ( 4-8mm ).Cut:rectangular,trilliant,round. 20-30 pices each order. Colour( very important !!!! ):like your picture in your site ” doublet parcel” we mean: intense blue Crystal. Best regards MB
I am interested in you cutting my rough opal into gem pieces. How may I contact you ?
Sorry, didn’t get your name. no problems regarding rough. i will send you an email to make contact. Peter
and from the back side of the stone
opal back is not obvious enough to tell. Sorry Robin, thats the best i can say.
marginally better quality photo this time – apologies for the first!
Opal looks about the same as the previous shot
Peter – cracking website. so informative – thank you! I’ve got a Percy Marks stick pin in the family, which I believe may be black opal. Any guidance you can provide would be well received! the stone itself is about 1.3cm x 0.8cm. maybe 0.3cm deep. From the front, the stone has an almost uniform green/blue ‘flash’, but viewed through the backside of the stone is a muted purplish pink – will send pictures through!
Keep up the good work! Best regards
Robin
Robin its difficult to see whether its a solid opal or a doublet. its pretty well impossible unless its taken out of its setting. If it is opal it could either be a doublet or a solid black or boulder opal.
Hi peter here is some new clear photos. i wonder if this opal is worth something and what kind of boulder opal it is, thanks. here is one of the opal
Hi! I got this boulder opal from my grandmother before she past away, She did buy it in austrailia about 40-50 years ago. the smaller opal weight is 0,330 gram.
i wounder how much this stone is worth, thanks.
Heidi, its difficult to tell the value of your opal by the photograph. Please go to http://opalmine.com/services/opal-photography/ for some help with opal photography. peter
hello, I recently received this opal pendant as a gift and I have no idea what kind of opal it is. Any thoughts? Thanks for your help.
Sophie, i cant really tell by looking at the picture but it looks like its from the Coober Pedy field in Australia. Its a really interesting opal with striped pattern.
Fire opal can I email a pic of it. Says it’s too large.
Rob, regarding your opal, i will ask our site manager to find out why you could not post it. the program is supposed to reduce the size automatically. in the meantime i will send you an email and explain how you can reduce the size. Peter
Frank opal back commented on in previous post
A few years ago I purchased some opal still in the matrix from an old collector. I ground away the matrix with a flex shaft tool. Most was light blue, but this one piece was different. I hand lapped and polished it. I don’t think I have polished it to it’s full potential, but I am really afraid to go further myself. ( I work mainly in agate). What is it, and is it worth have a professional cutter look at it to see if the polish can be improved? I left the matrix on the back, it is light colored.
Frank, this is a typical example of a black or dark opal from the Mintabie opal field in South Australia, north of the Coober Pedy mine. Its a lovely piece. just clean the back up a bit but dont cut it two thin. its perfectly ok to leave the white sandstone type material on the back as long as you clean it back to reasonably smooth. no need to put a high polish on it. not sure of the quality of your polish on the front but you will need to finish it off with a paste of cerium oxide. if you need some help with cutting click here the color looks to be worth in the vicinity of three to four hundred dollars per carat. not sure of the weight but if that is a dime coin next to it, its probably around 7 carats. so it could be worth around $3000 cant tell exactly. Hope that helps. peter
Hi – have had this ring for about 15 years, apparently set by my Nan in around 1970 from a Coober Pedy opal my Dad sent her when he was living there…any insights as far as the value goes? I know it’s probably hard to tell just from a picture but I noticed how helpful you’ve been with other commenters and thought it worth a go! It’s set in 14k gold. Thanks 🙂
Jacqui, it sure is a nice piece. Probably crystal opal from Andamooka in South Australia. From the picture it looks like its a doublet because most Andamooka opal is crystal and hence more pale, unless its an Andamooka black opal. Cant really tell from the picture. if you look at the back and its either a grey or black color, its more than likely a doublet and would be worth around $1500. If its a black opal its worth more like $5000 but i doubt it. Hope that helps. Peter
PS. Jacqui, if you get some time please Please follow and rate opalmine by clicking here
Or paste this into your browser:
https://plus.google.com/102995504959810313699/about?hl=en
It helps us continue this free service. best wishes
Hello. I found your site after I took this photo a ring that was my Grandmother’s for a photo project. I realized I really don’t know much about the ring, how old, what kind of opals, etc. I do know it is quite old but that’s about it. I just love this ring and would love any information you might be able to provide.
Thank you so much!
Leslie, the opal ring you sent a picture of is a cluster of solid white or crystal opals from the Coober Pedy field in South Australia. I cant tell you the age of the ring but nowadays it would sell retail possibly for around $500 to $700 in my opinion. Hope that helps, peter
Chanced upon your site while searching for a way to safely clean Opal jewelry. Learned a Lot… Outstanding site. I read many of the comments back and forth and must say that you do a wonderful job of assisting your contacts. I will be checking in every once in a while and will probably become a customer. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise in such a down to earth manner. Easily understood and extremely helpful.
Re: Opal jewelry cleaning. Rick thanks so much for your encouraging words. Not enough of it in this world!! Pleased to help if i can. Rick if you get a chance sometime please give us a rating and a follow as below:
paste this into your browser:
https://plus.google.com/102995504959810313699/about?hl=en
It just helps us in the search engines. very best wishes, peter
Hi, I tried to match this with all opals, not quite sure what type is this, the fire rolling all over the top is quite amazing. I know it’s an opal, just no idea what type. Please help!
Mandy the opal face is not clearly seen but it could be a treated opal from Andamooka in south Australia. They come out of the ground a pale color and after carbon treatment they take on a black opal appearance. Thats the best i can say without a clearer picture. hope that helps, peter
PS.Please go to https://plus.google.com/102995504959810313699/about?hl=en and give us a follow and rating. it helps us continue with this free service. thanks Mandy
Another one
Mandy the opal for sure is andamooka matrix, carbon treated. as described in previous post
A better picture of it in daylight
Andamooka matrix opal from this town in south australia
You guys are fantastic, thanks so much! What about this one, same or black opal?
Mandy this looks like a high qualiy black opal from Lightning Ridge. Of course i cant tell without having it outside its setting but i am pretty sure it is. Its very high quality and could be worth in the vicinity of $1000. Incidentally, to help our site so that we can continue giving this free service please go to: https://plus.google.com/102995504959810313699/about?hl=en and give us a follow and a rating. it helps us in the search engines. very best wishes, peter
Hello,
This opal ring has been in the family for quite some time. It’s flat cut on top, slightly ruff and is an older setting that may be from the 1930’s (?). I have never had anyone look at it. It’s quite large – 3 cm x 1.5 cm. My mother wore this as a cocktail ring. Can you tell me anything about it? Thanks so much!
Chad, it sure is an amazingly large opal. its difficult to tell what type of opal it is but by the color and the shape, it seems to be a boulder opal, from either the Quilpie or Winton area in western Queensland. I would say, if the setting is 14 or 18k gold, it would be worth around $3000 retail. If its silver or silver gold plated you could reduce that by around $500. This is only an approximate without actually seeing the ring. Hope that helps. Best wishes Chad. Peter
IM sorry, do you mean the color fades after it’s removed from the water? If so, it looks like it fades slightly and then does return when dry.
Thank you. I received this ring in new condition about 1 month ago. When I put it under water, the color actually increases. Especially the red/orange.
regarding opal color. dont know Arlene. i have no experience with hydrophane opal. but if the color comes back, thats great!
Triplicate? I paid $1300 for it.
Arlene, this is not a triplet. its a very beautiful solid opal crystal. other comments below
woah that is large. Sorry I don’t know how to make it smaller!!
No problems!
Thank you Peter. I have only had this ring about a month, I noticed yesterday that when I run my nail across the surface, I can feel some fine “scratches” … I am worried about the fragility. But I also want to wear it as much as I can, while taking the best care of it. Can you give me any advice? Ideally, the only time I will remove it is at work because of hygiene (I’m a nurse) … also I often use alcohol based hand sanitizer and wash my hands many times throughout the day. Will this harm the stone? I am attaching some more pictures so that you can see how high the dome is. Also, the picture from underneath — can you tell if this is a solid stone and not a triplicate? Thank you so much. And how do I clean it? I also have another milkier white oval pendant opal that is about 100 years old, I want to be able to take the best care of these opals as they are my birthstone, as well as my daughters, they will be hers one day. Thank you for your help in sharing your expertise and knowledge. Arlene
Its a solid opal Arlene, but i am not sure of the origin of the stone. If you put it in water and the color fades, it will be an Ethiopian opal so you have to take extra care of it. they are called hydrophane opals. they say the color returns when it dries out but i would be careful. how long have you had it? that will give me a clue because these type of opals have only been sold in the last 5 years or so commercially. Australian opal is not effected by water or just about anything else but its always wise to be a bit careful wearing expensive rings of any kind in work situations. you can easily dislodge a claw and lose a stone.
Can you please help me identify the type of opal my ring is and where it came from?
Arlene this is a really nice high domed crystal opal ring probably originating from either the cooper pedy or lightning ridge opal fields. orange-green. Of course without analyzing it properly, this is the best i can say. it could come from somewhere else as well, but that’s my opinion. Let me know if i can help further. but hope that gives you an idea, Best regards, Peter
Hello I brought an opal and tested it under a black light (ultra violet light) after I turned the light off the stone continued to glow for a few seconds after. Is this normal or could it be a fake?
Mick regarding your opal, according to this report, synthetic opals dont fluoresce at all, so it seems its real: http://www.jewelrynotes.com/how-to-tell-a-fake-opal-gemstone/
Excellent Thank you for your help
last one!
Yes again, specimen boulder opal. lesser quality than the last shot.
and another, sorry for poor quality of this shot
Yes, this is low grade boulder opal. Mainly used for specimens.
here’s another
Yes this is green yellow boulder opal.
hi peter is this a boulder opal? I have others I took pics of too but you only allow one photo to be uploaded! will post a few more after this
Luke, Yes, this is a boulder opal probably from the Winton field, western Queensland but of course it could also come from Quilpie or Koroit.
Could you please tell me what kind of opal is that if at all?
the picture is too dark to identify it but i have tried to lighten it and it looks like a very large crystal opal. i would guess that it could be from Africa although it could come from and of the australian fields as well. difficult to tell its value without much better pictures.
“opal picture” not good enough to identify it accurately but it looks like a very large piece of crystal opal probably from Africa but it could come from any of the Australian fields as well.
Cool thanks for the tips 🙂
without me actually seeing and feeling it there is no way of telling but by the look of it its definitely a real opal and i would say its from Ethiopia. Just soak it in water and if it loses its color i am right. this opal is called hydrophane. its porous and soaks up water but the color will probably come back as it dries out. Best kept as a specimen because of possible cracking problems. peter
Hello again thank you for your info. I was wondering if it’s about the same with this one. How can I tell if they are real opals and do you know where I could go to get them checked?
Sorry if this photo is submitted twice I was having a little error issue. Just wondering what kind of opal this is?
rough opal picture Jennifer, this is a typical piece of rough crystal opal. it could be from a number of different mines both in Australia and perhaps Africa and Mexico. From an Australian point of view it looks like a stone from Coober pedy in south Australia, but material like this can also be found in the Lightning Ridge area. If its thick enough to cut and polish, it could finish at around 5 to 7 carats with a value of possibly $100 per carat retail, so it could be worth between $500 and $800 but this is only a rough estimate. hope that helps.
I was wondering if you tell me what kind of opal this is?
re rough opal: no problems Jennifer. i will answer your other inquiry with the picture
Dear sir
May I ask 3 questions please?
1. Ten years ago, I was bought a set of mosaic opal cuflinks. They are matched, but one remains brilliant, the other less so, with a milky appearance in parts. I cannot remember if it was like that when I got them. I’ve cleaned with vinegar since, but no real difference. Is this intended or is it a flaw, or is it likely moisture has got into it.
2. How are they made – just with a backing like a doublet (and between the opal chips) or like a triplet with a resin surface too? These cuflinks have a roughness to the touch, suggesting a bare surface. I’ll try to attach a photo
3 . Time has moved on, And I think I can probably look for bkack opal cuflinks now. What do I look for, and will they damage easily – I work at desk and they inevitably scrape the desk or keyboards etc?
Thank you
Paul
opal cuff link problem: Paul, pleased to make some comments. mosaic opals are made from small pieces of opal. they are cemented onto a dark background usually with the assistance of epoxy resins. for some reason one of your stones has not been made well. perhaps there was some moisture there when the mosaic was being put together. unfortunately its almost impossible to correct this without a huge amount of work but if you do have a lot of time on your hands, the only way to do it would be to soak the offending stone in metholated spirits. its also called wood alcohol. check it every day or so. eventually all the little pieces will dislodge and then you would need to spray the background of the stone with flat black spray paint, then, when the paint dries,m painstakingly with epoxy resin, glue all the little pieces back together again. if the opal was oval, i could easily replace the stone but because its square its very difficult because all of my mosaics are oval in shape. so that’s about all i can suggest, unless you want to just buy a new set here with an international guarantee that does not run out. Peter
I was given a price of fossilized wood that has these white bubbly formations inside of it. The person qho have it to me said he got it at withlacoochee river. They have a background of red amber and black/blue-ish color. Is it the beginning of an opal formation?
Jillian, i dont know much about fossilized wood as opal is my specialty but it sounds like a nice piece. peter
Saheb, not sure what you would like to know. do you want to buy an opal? peter صاحب، آپ کو جاننا چاہوں گا کہ کیا بات کا یقین نہیں. آپ کو ایک دودیا پتھر خریدنے کے لئے چاہتے ہیں؟ پیٹر
hello i want to know what is needed to make mattrix opal,i have been told a couple ways but its not correct wondering if you can send to my email what i need to bring the coloure out please.they call it cooking of the opal.regards merv.
send me an email to peter@opalmine.com and i will send you some information. Peter
Merve just checking that you got my answer regarding the matrix, Peter
my uncle passed away and hes done a lot of opal mineing hes got opals from ligting ridge cooperpeddy hes got other stones look like dimonds and lots of gems so many of them need to get them valued he cut and polish them himself hes got all the tools could you please help who do we get out to value them
Susan, we have had a few technical problems in the blog of opalmine.com and i am just checking on some comments made. Many apologies for not getting back to you earlier. please comment again if you would like. very best wishes, Peter
I found an opal in coober Pedy 20 years ago that is in the shape of a small seashell (similar to a clam). Is it possible that the shell has fossilized w/ opal?…is it rare?..it’s about an inch wide.
Thanks,
John
Yes John, there are many opals found in Coober Pedy and some in LIghtning Ridge which are actually fossils of all sorts of sea creatures and other things. Opal shells are getting rarer, depending on the quality. if you like you can submit a picture so that we can see what you have. best wishes, Peter
I was wondering if you had anymore specific information on the Black Opal? I was also wondering if any types of opals have been discovered in SPACE? I’m not sure if you are the right person to ask but have there ever been any opals or gems/rocks of any kinds discovered from a meteor? Please get back to me, thanks so much!
~Grace
Grace, thanks for your interesting question. I will post a new article on the black opal subject on this site. just submit your details in the contacts section so that i will get an email reminder. I heard something about opals being discovered on Mars. Here is an article about it. Just how much you can believe that of course is dubious, but its certainly interesting. Peter
PS. I just noticed that the link i have installed here just takes you to another section of opalmine regarding black opals and does not link to the Mars article. Site manager checking into this at present.
Peridot from the Olivine family has been found in Meteors from space
Thats interesting Dee. ive heard that they have found indications of opal on Mars as well. should be interesting to check if they ever get there. peter
i can,t see here any australian fire opal,can u please tell me some of its finest types and picturs.
Hi Ali, the term ‘fire opal’ is often applied to Mexican opal usually, i believe, which is an orangy-red mostly without a play of color. The use of the term ‘fire’ is often applied in Australia to any opal of any color as long as the color is dynamic and not subdued. Of course there are many opinions and termanologies applied to opal but if you look at any of the bright images in this site, they could be said to contain ‘fire’ I have written an article on the new opal nomenclature so if you would like to see it, just let me know and i will email it to you. best wishes Ali, Peter
Our opal earrings look like the surface might be a chip of brilliant colours in the sun that at a point looks like a diamond, however the opal is not straight through. I was wondering what kind it is, perhaps it is too expensive to be an opal solid on the other hand maybe it is…?
Any information would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Mr or Mrs Webster. Its really difficult to give an opinion without seeing the stone. if you have a digital camera with a macro (close-up) ability, please take a couple of pictures and send it to me. But first list your information through the contacts form here: http://www.opals.co/contact-us/ and i will be able to talk to you direct by email and you can send me a picture and i will do whatever possible to help you identify the opal. Thanks for contributing to the site, and please accept our kind regards from opalmine, Australia, Peter