Opal

Opaal, Opaali, Opál, Opala, Opalas, Opale, Ópalo, Đá opal, العقيق, オパール, Опал, 蛋白石, אופאל


Commonly known      rarer (so called collectors stones)      very rare (rarities)      relatively rare organic material


Links:
Excellent photos and informations about precious opals at www.oztrailia.de/opale.html
South Australian opal museums at www.flindersoutback.com


Formula: SiO2·n H2O
Mineral Class: Oxides
Crystal System: amorph
Mohs Scale: 5.5 - 6
Density (g/cm3): 1.9 - 2.3
Refractive index: 1.37 - 1.52
Colors: Typical opalescence (up to all colors) on a base of usually one color.
Fluorescence: blue, green
Pleochroism: -
Largest Opal: “Olympic Australis”, mined in 1956 in the "Eight Mile" opal field in Coober Pedy, South Australia. This largest and most valuable ever being found precious opal weights 3.45 kg (= 17,000 ct), and measures 280 mm x 120 mm x 115 mm. It can be viewed at Altmann & Cherny's, 128 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Australia. (Source: www.altmanncherny.com.au/olympic.htm)
Deposits: worldwide
Name: from the Sanskrit (India) word "upala" (predious stone), via Greek "opallios" (color change), and Roman "opalus"

Ethiopian Opal
Opal Mineral

Origin: Ethiopia

Photo by kind permission of © www.mineraltivadar.hu
Ethiopian opal
Crystal Opal

Weight: 37.67 ct

Origin: Ethiopia

Photo by kind permission of © www.ravenstein-germany.com
Ethiopian opal
Crystal Opal

Size: 1.68 x 1.67 x 0.95 cm
Weight: 10.81 ct
Origin: Yita Mt. / Menz Gishe Distr. / Shewa Prov. / Ethiopia

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-treasure.com
Opal

Size: 0.91 x 0.70 x 0.45 cm
Weight: 1.33 ct
Origin: Ethiopia

Foto mit freundlicher Erlaubnis von © www.bestminerals.com
Fire Opal

Weight: 1.15 ct

Origin: Ethiopia

Photo by kind permission of © www.djraregems.com

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Australian Opal - Map -
Black Opal Mineral

Origin: Lightning Ridge / New South Wales / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © www.exceptionalminerals.com
Opal rough
Black Opal Ring

Opal: 2.36 ct, Lightning Ridge / New South Wales / Australia
Diamond: 1
Gold: 18K Yellow gold

Photo by kind permission of © www.opalsdownunder.com.au
Opal ring
Black Opal Rolling Flash Pattern

Weight: 30.86 ct

Origin: Lightning Ridge / New South Wales / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © www.opalsdownunder.com.au
Black Opal Ring

Opal: 3.63 ct, 1.22 x 1.0 cm, Lightning Ridge / New South Wales / Australia
Diamonds: 22, total 0.22 ct
Gold: 18K White and yellow gold

Photo by kind permission of © www.africagems.com
Opal ring
Semi-black Opal Broad Flash Pattern

Weight: 56.50 ct

Origin: Mintabie / South Australia / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © www.opalsdownunder.com.au
White Opal

Weight: 18.95 ct

Origin: Coober Pedy / South Australia / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © opal-trader.com
White Opal Ring

Opal: 1.62 ct, Coober Pedy / South Australia / Australia

Gold: 14K Yellow gold

Photo by kind permission of © www.opalsdownunder.com.au
Opal ring
Crystal Opal

Weight: 68.00 ct

Origin: Mintabie / South Australia / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © opal-trader.com
Crystal Opal
Crystal Opal

Size: 2.11 x 1.6 x 0.67 cm
Weight: 11.40 ct
Origin: Australia

Photo by kind permission of © www.palagems.com
Boulder Opal Mineral

Origin: Queensland / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © skywalker.cochise.edu
Boulder Opal
Boulder Opal in Matrix

Origin: Koroit / Queensland / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © www.cooperopals.com
Boulder Opal
Boulder Opal in Matrix

Origin: Koroit / Queensland / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © www.cooperopals.com
Boulder Opal
Boulder Opal

Weight: 11.20 ct

Origin: Winton / Queensland / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © www.opalsdownunder.com.au
Boulder Opal Ring

Opal: 5.02 ct, Quilpie / Queensland / Australia
Diamond: 1
Gold: 18K Yellow gold

Photo by kind permission of © www.opalsdownunder.com.au
Opal ring
Opalized Shell

Origin: Andamooka / South Australia / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © skywalker.cochise.edu
Opalized Shell
Opal "Nobby with Fire"

Size: 1.4 x 1.1 x 0.6 cm
Weight: 4.93 ct
Origin: Lightning Ridge / New South Wales / Australia

Photo by kind permission of © JewelsRoughGems

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Mexican Opal
Opal Mineral

Origin: Rodriguez Dam / Tijuana / Baja California / Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal rough
Opal Mineral / "Hyalite" on Topaz / SW UV

Size: 1.5 x 1.0 x 1.0 cm

Origin: Tepetate / San Luis Potosi / Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.kqminerals.com
Mexican Opal
Opal Mineral

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.mineraltivadar.hu
Mexican Opal Mineral
Opal

Size: 1.5 x 1.3 x 0.6 cm
Weight: 7.25 ct
Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.lucianabarbosa.com
Mexican Opal
Opal "Lloviznando"

Size of the rough Opal: 3.5 x 3.0 x 0.7 cm
Size of the faceted Opal: 1.9 x 1.8 x 1.2 cm
Weight of the faceted Opal: 22.47 ct
Origin: Magdalena Mining District / Jalisco / Mexico
Photo: Wimon Manorotkul, by kind permission of © www.palagems.com
Opal Mexico
Opal "Contra Luz"

Size: 1.41 x 0.73 x 0.45 cm
Weight: 2.55 ct
Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.wagner-edelsteine.de
Opal "Contra Luz"

Weight: 1.84 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com
Opal

Weight: 1.14 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.edelsteine.at
Opal "Leopard Opal"

Size: 2.01 x 1.51 x 0.61 cm
Weight: 11.65 ct
Origin: Zimapán / Hidalgo / Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.gemfrance.com
Leoparden-Opal
Fire Opal Mineral

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.mineraltivadar.hu
Fire Opal
Fire Opal Mineral

Size: 1.66 x 1.11 x 0.99 cm

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.wagner-edelsteine,de
Fire Opal
Fire Opal

Weight: 5.21 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.gemfrance.com
Fire Opal

Weight: 4.11 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Fire Opal

Size: 3.21 x 2.21 cm
Weight: 60.06 ct
Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.rarestone.com
Fire Opal

Size: 0.8 x 0.8 x 0.5 cm
Weight: 1.12 ct
Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.wagner-edelsteine.de
Fire Opal

Weight: 2.09 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.wsfgems.com
Fire Opal Mineral

Size: 2.5 x 0.7 x 0.5 cm

Origin: Querétaro / Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.lucianabarbosa.com
Fire Opal Mineral
Fire Opal

Weight: 5.14 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Fire Opal

Size: 2.54 x 2.38 x 1.56 cm
Weight: 47.20 ct
Origin: Campos Borges / Rio Grande do Sul / Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.edelsteine.at
Fire Opal

Weight: 37.93 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.ridderborg.se
Fire Opal

Weight: 2.82 ct

Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.online-edelstein.de
Fire Opal

Size: 2.27 x 1.73 cm
Weight: 21.46 ct
Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com
Fire Opal

Size: 2.0 x 1.5 cm
Weight: 12.87 ct
Origin: Mexico

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com

U.S. Opal
Opal

Size: 0.9 x 0.77 x 0.6 cm
Weight: 2.0 ct
Origin: Virgin Valley / Nevada / USA

Photo by kind permission of © JewelsRoughGems
Opal

Size: 1.35 x 0.7 x 0.4 cm
Weight: 2.19 ct
Origin: Virgin Valley / Nevada / USA

Photo by kind permission of © JewelsRoughGems
Fire Opal

Size: 0.90 cm
Weight: 2.99 ct
Origin: Oregon / USA

Photo by kind permission of © www.rarestone.com
Fire Opal

Size: 1.15 cm
Weight: 5.29 ct
Origin: Sawtooth Mine / Idaho / USA

Photo by kind permission of www.irocks.com
Opal

Size: 0.8 x 0.45 cm
Weight: 0.60 ct
Origin: Idaho / USA

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com
Opal

Size: 0.9 x 0.7 x 0.5 cm
Weight: 1.30 ct
Origin: Owyhee Dam / Lake Owyhee State Park / Malheur County / Oregon / USA

Photo by kind permission of © www.lucianabarbosa.com

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Peruvian Opal
Opal (Cu)

Weight: 2.76 ct

Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.online-edelstein.de
Opal (Cu)

Weight: 0.79 ct

Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal (Cu)

Size: 1.5 x 0.8 x 0.6 cm
Weight: 4.10 ct
Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © JewelsRoughGems
Opal (Cu)

Size: 0.70 x 0.52 cm
Weight: 0.54 ct
Origin: Andes Mts. / Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal (Cu)

Weight: 1.09 ct

Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal (Cu)

Weight: 0.84 ct

Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal

Size: 0.92 x 0.72 cm
Weight: 1.67 ct
Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal

Weight: 13,64 ct

Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.online-edelstein.de
Opal Mineral

Size: 6.5 x 3.4 x 2.7 cm

Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © JewelsRoughGems
Opal Mineral
Opal

Weight: 1.62 ct

Origin: Peru

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com

Opal Mineral

Size: 8.5 x 8.2 x 2.3 cm

Origin: Boi Morto Mine / Pedro II / Piaui State / Northeast Region / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal Brazil
Opal

Size: 1.15 x 0.82 cm
Weight: 2.33 ct
Origin: Niquelandia / Goias / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com

Opal Mineral

Size: 5.2 x 2.6 x 2.1 cm

Origin: Gracias A Dios / Honduras

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Opal Honduras

Opal Mineral

Origin: Hungary

Photo by kind permission of © www.mineraltivadar.fw.hu
Hungarian Opal

Opal / Hyalite Mineral

Size: 5.4 x 4.3 x 3.8 cm

Origin: Valeč / Karlovy Vary / Czech Republic

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Hyalite Opal

Opal "Calderite"

Size: 0.42 x 0.27 cm
Weight: 0.17 ct
Origin: Shigar Valley / Gilgit-Baltistan / Pakistan

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com

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Opal with Dendrites

Weight: 13.65 ct

Origin: Bahia / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © http://lucianabarbosa.com
Dendritic Opal
Opal with Dendrites

Weight: 42.33 ct

Origin: India

Photo by kind permission of © www.online-edelstein.de

Opal Cat's Eye

Weight: 5.44 ct

Origin: Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © www.online-edelstein.de
Opal Cat's Eye

Size: 1.16 x 0.99 x 0.73 cm
Weight: 4.96 ct
Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.wagner-edelsteine.de
Opal Cat's Eye

Weight: 0.81 ct

Origin: Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © www.edelsteine.at
Opal Cat's Eye

Size: 0.5 x 0.6 cm
Weight: 0.4 ct
Origin: Bahia / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © www.lucianabarbosa.com
Opal Cat's Eye

Size: 0.5 x 0.7 cm
Weight: 0.66 ct
Origin: Bahia / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © www.lucianabarbosa.com

Opal Star

Origin: Idaho / USA

Photo by kind permission of © http://skywalker.cochise.edu
Opal Star

Origin: Virgin Valley / Nevada / USA

Photo by kind permission of © http:www.theimage.com

Opal bicolor

Size: 0.8 x 0.6 x 0.3 cm
Weight: 0.85 ct
Origin: Minas Gerais / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of © www.lucianabarbosa.com, Luciana Barbosa.

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