Have
you ever wanted to capture a sunset or a rainbow? Look into the depths of an
opal.
Australia
yields many of the world’s most spectacular opals. Here are the best of the
best:
1. This huge chunk of opal is such an amazing specimen it will never be cut down for jewelry.
 | |||
| The Olympic Australis: 17,000 carats of natural beauty. |
2. The 180-carat Aurora Australis is the world’s most valuable black opal.
 | ||
| A stunning example of a “harlequin pattern” opal. |
1. 3. The
cylinder-shaped Virgin Rainbow features large rolling flashes of color. Got
really deep pockets? It’s currently up for sale!
 | ||||||
| Pipe opal is Australia's rarest form of opal. |
FYI
…
Opals are formed
when water soaks into the ground, trickles down through sandstone deposits, and
evaporates in underground cracks or caves. Layer upon layer, the silica dissolved
from the sandstone re-hardens, usually into a formless mass. But when the
crystals form a pattern … wow! They splinter light like the facets of a
diamond.
No comments:
Post a Comment