PRECIOUS OPAL - Ethiopia
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PRECIOUS OPAL
From Ethiopia
Precious opal is the only gemstone that can have such a diverse brilliance of colour that it encompasses the whole of the colour spectrum. In the past most opal has come from either Australia or Mexico, but since the mid. 1990s stunningly beautiful opals have entered the market from Ethiopia. They are mostly found north-east of Addis Ababa in Shewa Province and occur in stratified volcanic rocks such as rhyolite and ignimbrite. The best opals are a more recent discovery and are known as ‘Welo opals’ from Welo (Wollo) Province.
The play of colours is due to the reflection and scattering of light from minute, uniformly-sized spheres of silica that make up the stone. The colours are not caused by a pigment; the closely-packed spheres form a ‘diffraction grating’ that splits white light into the colours of the spectrum.
This piece is presented in a plastic 'floating' display box as shown, with the opal between two membranes. A descriptive label is included.
From Ethiopia
Precious opal is the only gemstone that can have such a diverse brilliance of colour that it encompasses the whole of the colour spectrum. In the past most opal has come from either Australia or Mexico, but since the mid. 1990s stunningly beautiful opals have entered the market from Ethiopia. They are mostly found north-east of Addis Ababa in Shewa Province and occur in stratified volcanic rocks such as rhyolite and ignimbrite. The best opals are a more recent discovery and are known as ‘Welo opals’ from Welo (Wollo) Province.
The play of colours is due to the reflection and scattering of light from minute, uniformly-sized spheres of silica that make up the stone. The colours are not caused by a pigment; the closely-packed spheres form a ‘diffraction grating’ that splits white light into the colours of the spectrum.
This piece is presented in a plastic 'floating' display box as shown, with the opal between two membranes. A descriptive label is included.
Click on a picture for a larger image
Size: 5.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 centimetres (size of display box)
Weight: 5.11 grams (weight of stone)
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