Opals are one of the world’s most beautiful gems. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts of Australia.This group of fine opals includes a number different variations, which share one characteristic: they shine and sparkle in a continually changing play of colours. Experts describe as this as “opalising”.
Opals vary depending on the type, place of occurrence, and colour of the main body. They are differentiated as Dark or Black Opal, White or Light Opal, Milk or Crystal Opal, Boulder Opal, Opal Matrix, Yowah Nuts from Queensland – the so-called “picture stones“, and also Mexican and Fire Opal. Opal variations are practically unlimited and all all show a unique play of colours. Opals lacking the typical play of colours, are simply named “Common Opal”.
The history of Australian opal began millions of years ago, when parts of Australia were covered by a vast inland sea, and stone sediment was deposited along its shoreline. When the water masses flooded back, they flushed water containing silica into the resulting cavities and niches in the sedimentary rocks. Remains of plants and animals were also deposited there. Over time the silica stone transformed into opal.
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