Virgin Valley Opal Rough

The layers associated with the volcanic activity are rich in water soluble silica. Water, moving through the volcanic layers, dissolved silica, and carried it into the voids created by the decayed wood. Silica-gel filled the available spaces, and created either complete or incomplete casts of the woody material. Some of the wood was still present, allowing only partial opalization, which we see as a wood and opal combination today

When the conditions are right, spheres of silica will stack in an orderly arrangement which will allow light to be diffracted into its spectral colours. We see this phenomenon as play of colour or “fire” in opal.

Opals from Virgin Valley are primarily "specimen only"; they are very unstable. Because of this instability, these opals are not often cut and used in jewellery. The reason for this is two-fold. First, this is a very young opal; being only around 15 million years old. Secondly, this opal has formed in Bentonite clay. Bentonite clays are very effective at sealing moisture in and do not drain quickly.

The opal from Virgin Valley can appear in many different ways, some much more rare and desirable than others. The base or body colour is the underlying colour of the opal, disregarding the play of colour.

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