Precious Opal (1,051 grams!)

Item Description

Coober Pedy is a town in northern part of South Australia, that is sometimes referred to as the "Opal Capital of the World" because of the quantity of precious Opals that are mined there. Typically the Opals from this area have a very distinctive appearance, with softer hues than those from Lightning Ridge, but they often produce larger stones and even specimens like this piece. Opal is one of those minerals that looks as beautiful and impressive when it is opaque as when it is water clear. The amazing range of this material (considering the simplistic chemistry) makes it a really cool mineral, and that's saying a lot considering the species does not even have any crystal form! This piece is a hefty (1,051 grams - over a kilo!) display specimen of this famous material that is filled with bands of bright Opal covering the color spectrum including red, pink, orange, green, yellow, blue, aqua and even a slight lavender shade. The piece actually displays beautifully thanks to a saw mark on the bottom, and as you can see from the photos, the rainbows that can be seen throughout are fantastic. I showed the piece to a friend who knows a bit more about this material than I do, and they said that good Coober Pedy Opals are valued at over $200 per carat, and that this piece (which is polished) could easily be valued at $3500 or more retail just based on the rough value. Don't miss out on this big beautiful specimen of a species that most collectors don't often think about for their collections as it is rarely found in display pieces. Please note that due to the extra size and weight of this piece, there will be an added shipping charge.