Opal pseudomorph / fossil replacing Clam Shell

Item Description

Opal is a diverse species, found in many world environments in a wide variety of styles and color. It's also one of those minerals that looks just as interesting when it's opaque as when it's transparent. Additionally, you'll find Opal associated with certain fossils, and this piece is a classic specimen from Coober Pedy which is technically a dual replacement as it can be classified as a pseudomorph or a fossil. Precious Opal has replaced a preexisting clam shell giving the piece a soft silvery hue with beautiful color flashes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple when the piece is rotated in the light. I can see the color reflecting near the umbo of the shell. A very attractive piece of this hard to find material. Specimen weight is 13.6 grams The supply at this famous locality has been exhausted as mining here is no longer profitable or commercially successful on any scale.
From the collection of Jim Houran and comes with a letter from Mike Keim, who sold the piece to Jim, stating that he acquired it in 1998.