A very beautiful and impressive opal� it has an almost etheral quality to it. Unlike most opals with a white base or background color, this pear-shaped, double cabochon (polished on BOTH top and bottom so it can be displayed from either side) has a gorgeous yellow color and a stunning watery look that is dominated by a stupendous flash of colors across the entire face of the gem. It is riveting in person, characteristic of the very best quality of this new material from a small find in Ethiopia. Recently the material has been picked up by major worldwide gemstone companies and incorporated into very high-end masterpiece works. This is a museum class stone that is both wearable and collectible, and I think an investment as stones from this locality gain traction in the market. Also, nobody knows the size of the deposit - it cannot last forever, and then we are back to the more expensive Aussie opals of standard fashion. .Welo Opal is the only true stable opal that is mined in Ethiopia, according to many people who have handled it for the last 2 years as it trickled out. This opal has amazing fire play of all different colors. The Welo Opal is a very hard opal and thus very wearable.

Opal comes in a wide variety of colors and "styles". It is one of those gems that looks just as beautiful when its opaque as when it's completely transparent. In Peru there is an area that produces some of the best true blue Opal in the world. The color in these stones is caused by Copper content. The finest stones from this area are truly some of the most attractive Opals I've ever seen. This particular stone is a translucent light blue color gem with an "Oval" cut. Rarely do you see precious blue Opal on the market, so don't pass this one up.

Here we have a large display-quality specimen, with a thin sheet of brilliantly colored opal overlaying the matrix. I cannot recall seeing for sale any true boulder opal like this from Brazil, and when I bought the piece from an older collection I was admittedly skeptical. But now I see there are photos on MINDAT, and an Aussie friend confirmed that yes, some of these really did come out in this quality from Brazil - though not many, and few in quality.