Black Opal

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The most valuable and coveted variety of precious opal, black opal is set apart by a dark body tone, ranging from dark gray to jet black, that intensifies the spectral play-of-color dancing across its surface. Its premier source is Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia, which yields stones showing vivid red, green, blue, and purple fire against a near-black background. An amorphous form of hydrated silica, it measures 6.0 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Top-grade Lightning Ridge material can exceed the per-carat value of diamond; though classed among the semi-precious gems and priced in the moderate tier, the finest examples reach well beyond it, for the darkness of the background is precisely what allows the opal's fire to read so saturated.

Physical & Optical Properties

Category Semi-Precious Gems

Mohs Hardness 6,0 – 6,5

Specific Gravity 1,97 – 2,22

Refractive Index 1,37 – 1,47

Crystal System Amorphous

Luster Vitreous

Cleavage None

Fracture Conchoidal

Color white

Pleochroism Absent

Mohs Hardness

Mohs Hardness: 6,0 – 6,5

1 Soft10 Hard

Crystal System

Value & Market

Price Tier Moderate ($50-500/ct)

Where to Buy Black Opal

Blue Nile Fine jewelry retailer

James Allen Gemstone jewelry

Brilliant Earth Ethically sourced gems

Amazon Wide selection

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About Black Opal

El ópalo negro es la variedad más preciosa y valorada de los ópalos, caracterizada por su fondo oscuro —negro, gris oscuro o azul marino— sobre el que los colores del arco iris brillan con una intensidad extraordinaria. Este contraste entre el fondo oscuro y el juego de colores (opalescencia) lo convierte en la gema más espectacular de su especie. Se extrae casi exclusivamente en Lightning Ridge, en Nueva Gales del Sur (Australia), aunque existe un pequeño yacimiento en Nevada (EE.UU.). Los mejores ejemplares, con un fondo completamente negro y un juego de colores rojo, naranja y verde, son extraordinariamente valiosos.