Opal (with "Contra Luz" color flash)

Item Description

These classic Opal gems are some of the most popular Opals for collectors, dealers and jeweler for their color, gemminess and the ever popular "Contra Luz" effect. This "Oval Cabochon" cut gem has a beautiful gemmy colorless interior transmitted light, but in reflected light, it shows the highly desirable and seldom seen COLOR FLASH or "Contra Luz" effect with a beautiful rainbow-like array of color ! Now the color flash is best seen in sunlight or with a strong flashlight against a black background, and this stone was photographed under a strong flashlight to best show the color flash. When strongly lit, this stone shows flashes of yellow, red, green, blue, purple and gold These flashes of color are only seen in about 1% of the Fire Opals that I have seen from Mexico like this ! It's a very attractive stone, and would make a great piece of jewelry, or would stand on its own as a beautiful gem.
This stone is from the estate of former Phoenix area dealer Marvin Rockey. Rockey's Gems was a significant business in the early days of Arizona lapidary material, and he was a prominent dealer and buyer in the Arizona area of local lapidary and carving material from throughout the state, including Bisbee, the Ray Mine, Miami mines, and the Peridot finds on Indian lands in the 1950s-1970s. This stone was kept back from the retail stock for its quality and beauty, in a tray of special material, and was found in his estate (sold to us only recently). Today, these are not only rarely seen but of a highly desirable old quality, and sought after by collectors and gem / jewelry enthusiasts alike.