Opals are in a class by themselves. As a species, opal is so unique it has its own descriptive vocabulary. More than any other gem, each opal is distinctly individual. Opals are also the most delicate gemstones commonly worn and require special care.
Individual opals can vary widely in appearance and quality. As diverse as snowflakes or fingerprints, each gem can differ noticeably.
Opals are often divided into types based on the colour of the matrix. Even though there are many different categories for opals, here are the main 3 types:
Black Opal All other quality factors being equal, many buyers favor the dark background colour of black opal. This is partly because play-of-color tends to stand out attractively against a dark background. The contrast of play-of-colour to matrix makes black opals very popular. Additionally, black opals are considered to be the rarest.
White Opal An opal with a translucent to opaque white and other light colour matrix with play-of-colour is called white opal.
Fire Opal Fire opal is transparent to translucent with a matrix that is usually yellow, orange or red. This material, which might show play-of-colour, is also known in the trade as “Mexican opal” or “Mexican fire opal”.
We sell white Australian opals in round, oval, pear and a few fancy cabochon cuts.
