Australian Opal Gemstones

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Australian opals are considered to be the finest and most sought-after opals worldwide. Australia produces 95 percent of the world’s opals for the jewelry industry. The continent dominates the opal market because so many opals are mined across Australia. The factors that determine how valuable an Australian opal is include the absence of treatment, brightness, clarity, country of origin, color, pattern, and the play of color.

Characteristics of Australian Opals

Australian opals can’t be categorized into one type of gemstone because of the many variations of the stone. Although smaller deposits of opals are found in other countries, Australian opals are superior. Australia’s opal fields are located in New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia. Black opal fields are in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. Boulder opals are mined in Queensland. Milky or white opals are mined in South Australia.

Black opals found in New South Wales are the most valuable. The White Cliffs region of New South Wales produces rare opal pineapples, a rare fossil. Boulder opals are unique to Queensland. Crystal opals feature a transparent to semi-transparent background. Water opals are similar in appearance to crystal opals. However, they may feature a very faint play of color. Play of color patterns may include:

1. Pinpoint with small patches of color
2. Mosaic or harlequin with broader patches of color
3. Flame with reddish streaks of color
4. Peacock with primarily green and blue color

Australian opals are so valuable because they’re of such high quality. Millions of years ago, Australia was submerged in geothermal water. The water deep within the earth is what gives the Australian gemstones their chemical and physical properties.

Benefits of Australian Opals

People who want an astrological substitute for a diamond often wear Australian opals. Australian opals promote imagination and creativity and are the perfect gemstone for artistic pursuits and new ideas. Wearing a white Australian opal is beneficial for creative people. In astrological terms, white opals are associated with the planet Venus and creating wealth. Wearing a quality white Australian opal is believed to improve your lifestyle and finances.

Australian opals are said to improve health and have the power to cure many disorders. People with strong beliefs about the curative power of opals claim they’re beneficial for people with liver disorders, hormonal imbalances, or psychological issues. Women with reproductive problems may experience an improvement when they wear white opals. According to Vedic astrology, Venus is the planet associated with love and relationships. White opals are considered to assist in improving relationships.

What Makes Australian Opals Special?

Opals are one of the world’s most ancient gemstones. In Rome, opals were referred to as opalus which means precious stone. Opal artifacts dating back to 4000 B.C. have been discovered. Precious opals feature vibrant colors that give them the name of fire opals. A multi-dimensional display of bright colors is unique to the most precious opals. The two colors of precious opals are the background color and the display of color. The background color is due to impurities in the silica. The play of color is the term to describe the brilliant display of colors within the gemstone. Opals may be blue, green, orange, purple, red, yellow or black. The Australian black opal is the rarest of all opals. However, the gemstones may feature a variety of dark colors.

Australian stones may be more expensive than diamonds. It’s difficult to put a price on an Australian black opal since each stone has unique properties. However, the price of an Australian black opal may be as high as $10,000 per carat. Since these opals are so unique, there are usually several bidders for the gemstone.

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