Black opal is from Lightning Ridge, Australia. Solid natural black opals are the rarest opals in the world. It is very rare to get two opals of the same colour and brightness.
Red fire is the rarest colour followed by orange, greens and blues. Opal varies in different shades and patterns making this one of the most unique gems in the world. The more cabochon the stone and more unique pattern, like harlequin or mackerel, the more expensive the opal.
Black opal is graded in colour density as Body Tone from N1 to N5, N1 being the darkest and N5 the lightest.
The Lightning Ridge Opal Show, home of the black opal is held every August. Every second year a jewellery competition is held.
Only a few black opal mines are open cut as it is very expensive. Most mines are worked by teams in traditional methods with vacuum blowers, agitators and jack hammers. Old opal fields such as Cochran and Glengarry have been completely worked but there are still miners looking for opal pockets of that elusive black opal gem!
Source your black opals direct from opal miners, opal wholesalers and dealers on Opal Auctions.
