What type of opal is this?

Gem Related Discussion
1

Hi, I am a newbie. Can someone please help identify what type of opal is in this pendant? Thank you very much!

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2

Hello Christine, does the play-of-color effect roll all the way across the opal, or does it just move along the left, orange-colored side?

Pedro
IGS Admin

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3

Hi Pedro,

Thank you for your reply! The play of color rolls across the opal. The effect was really difficult to captured in photos, even video.

Best,
Christine

4

Hard to judge from a couple of pictures, but it looks like boulder opal without the matrix. The matrix is usually brownish like the left side of the stone. The odd shape also suggests that opal solution followed cracks in the matrix. It looks like there are cracks in the upper right. If there isn’t any matrix, this makes the stone problematic because it may fall apart.

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5

My first guess was that you had a banded opal, with a zone of precious opal with play of color (the left side) and a zone of common opal (the right side). However, since you say the play of color moves across the opal, that’s not the case. I’m not sure what type it is. Some boulder opals can show play of color.

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6

az1067, thanks for your insight! Appreciate it.

7

Pedro, thanks for your insight! Appreciate it.

8

Hi Christine

This Opal showing the Gray opaque zoning of colourless on the left, called Common Opal or by Opal miners terms called Opal potch in Australia, most likely the stone is from Lightning Ridge region of NSW Australia.

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9

Thanks, Hamid! Great to know.