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

Item Description

We've had these pieces for a couple years, but this particular specimen comes from a brand new find at the beginning of 2019 at the Étienne Mine. A good friend of our has been quietly mining them on a small claim, mostly with hand tools. There are many Opal localities around the world, but these particular specimens are unlike anything we've seen. They are what we used to call "Hyalite" Opal, but the term used for these specimens is now Opal-AN. This wonderful cabinet sized specimen is filled with attractive, gemmy to translucent, lustrous, spherical groups ("balls") of Hyalite which are mostly white / colorless in hue, but there are sections which have very attractive inclusions of golden to orange colored iron oxide that give the appearance of thin organic "capillaries" or "blood vessels" trapped within. This effect created the nickname "Blood Vessel Opal" for these specimens. The Opal has formed on a thin layer of matrix, and you can see a layer of what looks more like Chalcedony with more of a smoky color in between. As many of you know, "Hyalite" is one of the most fluorescent Opals in the world, and this piece shows an almost electric brilliant green fluorescence under SW UV light. Very few pieces of this size and quality were found, and it's very hard to say if more will be found. You won't find other Opals like this on the market, so if you like Mexican minerals, worldwide Opals or fluorescent minerals, don't pass this one up. Weight on the specimen is 345.79 grams. Priced at $950 in the inventory.