Black Opal Rock

An opal cabochon with flashes of orage red and green.

Black opal rock.

Andamooka in south australia is also a major producer of matrix opal crystal opal and black opal. Black opal is a term used for opal that has a dark bodycolor often black or dark gray. The term is also used for opal that has a dark blue or dark green bodycolor. The ridge also produces other opals that locals call semi black fire opal or grey opal.

This sedimentary rock is white opaque and chalky in texture. However whilst the gem is a movie prop it is made from real opals. Found mainly in australia s lightning ridge widely regarded as the most precious type of opal and packed with a boisterous range of colors black opals are considered the unprecedented leaders in the niche of natural opals. The black opal is said to be some of the best examples found in australia.

Unfortunately the black opal from the film is not real. The dark bodycolor often makes the fire of black opal more obvious. Created in 1994 to celebrate the nuances of black skin the beauty revelation that was black opal became a beauty revolution in color identity and empowerment. Over the years it has been sold overseas incorrectly as coober pedy opal.

The left is called nobby and the right is called seam. Black opal displaying a black body colour with little to no opalescence this variety is now the most desirable. These are classed as dark opals with a body tone of n5 to n7. Brightness is also graded from b1 to b7 with b1 the brightest and b7 the dullest with 3 5 average brightness.

Another australian town lightning ridge in new south wales is the main source. The black background allows the yellows oranges and reds to pop in contrast to the dark background supposedly making the play of colour more impressive. Black opal is the most valuable and desired form but white opal and precious fire opal can also be quite costly. Opal is also extremely popular among mineral collectors and museums compete to get the finest specimens.

When the sand stone is washed and clipped they reveal a black potch like black line in the right side picture inside along with a colour bar. No matter how unique your shade your tone or your heritage we see you and we celebrate the fire in you. The opening scene shows the black opal s discovery in a dodgy ethiopian mine this we learn is a gem whose provenance is as ethically questionable as ratner the man who acquires it. Opals gemstones are cut and polished into cabochon s and in a few rare cases are faceted into several cuts.

In real life this uncut gem is made from a large piece of matrix. These pictures are showing two different types of black opal rock. Today there is great demand for n1.