Opal-AN (Hyalite Opal) ("Blood Vessel Opal")

Item Description

From the exciting discovery in January of 2019 at the Tucson Show, we picked up these pieces literally days after they were collected at a new mine in San Luis Potosi. These are some of the most attractive, unusual, interesting and impressive Hyalite Opals we've ever seen. We were happy to get these pieces from a good friend who has been mining this material exclusively for the past few years. This particular specimen is loaded with gemmy to translucent spherical groups or "balls" of Hyalite on a thin layer of matrix. What really stands out here is the intense glowing reddish-orange to golden color of the Opal, which is caused by small inclusions of iron oxide that resemble thin organic "capillaries" or "blood vessels", hence the nickname "Blood Vessel Opal". This particular style and color combination is truly unique for any species or variety of Opal from anywhere in the world. These specimens are incredibly limited, and you honestly can't find anything like on the market. Nothing has come out for over a year now. A great small specimen for anybody who collects Mexican minerals or worldwide Opals. Weight on the specimen is 50.2 grams. Although you will see the term "Hyalite" all over the market, the nomenclature has recently been changes and this variety is now called Opal-AN.