Opal – Australia’s National Gemstone
Opal is proudly known as Australia’s National Gemstone and is considered one of the world’s rarest, most beautiful, and most precious gemstones. It is best known for its extraordinary “play of colour,” a visual phenomenon found in no other gem.
Australian opals are world-famous for their brilliant colour spectrum, featuring hues seen in many other prized gemstones. These include:
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Diamond-clear white and greys.
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Peridot and emerald greens.
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Tanzanite and sapphire blues.
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Citrine yellow and amber orange.
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Garnet reds, rose pinks, coral, and amethyst purples.
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Deep black opals and everything in between.
That’s a gemstone with the entire rainbow!
Australia’s Opal Legacy
Australia produces 95–97% of the world’s supply of precious opal, making it the undisputed global leader. The most valuable type, Black Opal, is found almost exclusively in Lightning Ridge, located in the Australian state of New South Wales.
Each opal is truly one of a kind, and no two are ever identical. The name “opal” comes from the Greek word Opallos, meaning “to see a change in colour.” When an opal is tilted and moved, its microscopic silica spheres scatter light, revealing all the colours of the rainbow in a stunning display known as play of colour.
Types of Opal: Precious vs. Common
There are two main categories of opal:
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Precious Opal: These rare stones exhibit a brilliant play of colour and are highly valued as gems.
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Common Opal (Potch): These lack colour play and are considered non-gem grade. Potch is often used for practice cutting or in doublets and triplets when the base is dark.
In fact, around 95% of all opal mined is common opal, with no gem value. Of the remaining 5%, most show only modest colour, leaving less than 0.25% of mined opal with significant gem value.