Did you know that 90% of the worlds Opal is found in Australia? You also might not realise that depending on which Opal mine you are at you will find very different types of Australian Opal. You can find black Opal in New South Wales, white Opal in Queensland and boulder and matrix Opal in South Australia and Queensland.
After the break I go over each of the different types of Australian Opal.
Black Opal - The Queen of Opals
Of all the different types of Opal in Australia, Black Opal is the most valuable with some stones being sold for over $15,000!
Upon seeing a Black Opal you will be stunned by how striking the colours are. This is emphasised by the stones dark grey or jet black body tone.
If you fancy visiting the home of the Black opal it is mostly mined in the town of Lightning Ridge. Just a short 9 hour drive :) from Sydney in northern New South Wales.
Read more about Black Opal or buy Black Opal.
White Opal - Australia's Milky Gem
White opals are also known as 'milk' or 'milky' Opals. They are a lot more common then other kinds of Opals like black or boulder Opal.
While not as striking as Black Opals, White Opals can still be absolutely magnificent in colour if a good quality stone is found.
Read more about White Opal or browse our White Opal
Crystal Opal - Speckled Droplets
Fun fact: Crystal Opals can be either white or black Opal depending on the body tone.
You might hear them being referred to as “Clear Opal” due to their transparent to translucent look and very high purity.
They are the second most expensive Opal after black Opal.
Boulder Opal - Playful Colour
Boulder opals are our specialty here at Macs Opals. You can easily distinguish them by their layer of solid brown ironstone left on the back of the stone.
I absolutely love the unique look of Boulder Opals and therefore source a lot of my Opals from the mines in Queensland.
The layer of opal in boulder Opals can display any colour of the spectrum in a beautiful play of colour.
Read more about Boulder Opal or browse our Boulder Opal
Matrix Opal - Hosted Opal
Matrix Opals are a type of Boulder Opal that is found as part of a host rock. You are most likely to find them with a dark ironstone or light sandstone host.
They consist of very thin seams or spots of precious Opal and mainly comes from the northern part of the Queensland Opal fields.
Read more about Matrix Opal or Buy Matrix Opal Here Interested in learning more about Opal? Please feel free to visit our Opal Guide or Opal buying guide.
Or better yet give us a call or pop in if you are around Bellingen way!
You may like:
