|
Mineral Specimens with Opal
(click on a page number to go to that page:)
page 3 / 8 - prev - 120 specimens selected - next
6.5 x 5 x 3.5 cm. Fine Opalized wood from the famous Virgin Valley area. Every color of fire is present - gold, red, green and blue. The luster is superb, and the Opal ranges from gorgeous green-fire veins up to an amazing 1.2 cm thick in the main portion. It retains the shape of the original wood. Ex. Charlie Key.
11.3 x 7.5 x 6.4 cm. A very unusual old piece from South Australia, with what seems to be hyalite opal (fluorescent) perched atop malachite. The malachite matrix is massive, with some veins of azurite. But, the malachite on top is crystalline, and velvety crystals of malachite contrast with the rounded white hyalite opal atop.
8.4 x 5.4 x 3.4 cm. A very unusual combination specimen from the Erongo Mountains, known for its combinations of aquamarine, schorl and quartz. This specimen combined small, stacked crystals of schorl with transparent, bubbly tan-colored hyalite opal.
5.4 x 4.3 x 3.8 cm. This is probably the most famous locality in the world for hyalite opal (which fluoresces bright green), but the historic old mines are now closed as they lay in a military reservation. This beautiful specimen has a cup-shaped, 3-dimensional spray of opal rising from matrix. Ex. Helmut Bruckner and Dr. Max Fiebelkorn Collections.
9.4 x 8.5 x 4.5 cm. This is a large chunk of wood that has been completely replaced by common opal (not precious opal) - a pseudomorph more commonly known simply as "petrified wood." The pattern and grain of the bark on the outside has been preserved.
13.9 x 6.0 x 4.9 cm. A really interesting variation on the now familiar combination of spessartine garnets with smoky quartz crystals from Tongbei. Here, the smoky quartzes have been coated by hyalite opal in a micro-thin coating - so that the specimen has a unique look as compared to the "usual" Tongbei piece. This style is from only a few pockets, several years ago.
14.3 x 9.5 x 8.5 cm. A dramatic and striking cabinet combination specimen of a "mountain" of snow-white, sparkly, sponge-like, etched hyalite opal on layered quartz and sulfide matrix coated with beautifully contrasting, lustrous, pink rhodochrosite crystals from the Santa Rita Mine of Peru. This is a very showy and highly unusual large combination specimen, as the opal, in this case, does not fluoresce. Ex. David Ellis Collection.
9.0 x 6.7 x 3.1 cm. A historic, old-time specimen of massive, solid, gray to off-white opal with a couple of blebs of darker opal from the famous opal fields of Nye County, Nevada. This old-timer is from the "Fluorine District", according to the small Foote label glued to the back of the piece. A.E. Foote was a world-famous mineral dealer, who died in 1895. This piece also comes with a Warner & Grieger label, prominent California dealers and collectors prior to World War II. This piece was in the John Grieger Collection.
11.3 x 4.5 x 3.2 cm. The jet black schorl is complete, pristine, and has incredible lustre. It is accented by a thin drapery of snowy white hyalite opal which was deposited on the schorl crystals, dripping down from above perhaps. The contrast could not be any starker, making this schorl a very showy specimen. Ex. Charlie Key.
14.5 x 5.6 x 3.3 cm. This is a large, gracefully curving vein of multicolored boulder opal in the host rock, from the classic mines of Queensland. Most pieces are simply representative examples, pretty plates but without display quality as a specimen per se. This, for its curving form and the way the matrix is trimmed to display the vein so dramatically, make this a superb specimen. Weighs 328 grams.
8.3 x 4.7 x 3.5 cm. A shimmering, waxy layer of hyalite opal covering volcanic rock. If I hadn’t received it from a trusted, very longtime European collector, I would doubt this locale and assume it to be, rather, the classic Czech material. But he specialized in locality pieces and was sure this is actually from the Isle of Lesbos.
7.5 x 6.4 x 5.0 cm. A strangely formed granular/globular hyalite opal specimen with strange looking fibrous/spindly sides from the Erongo Mountains of Namibia. Uncommon material from this famous locale. Classic yellow-green fluorescence. Ex. Rob Smith Collection.
3.9 x 3.0 x 2.3 cm. A fine, nicely shaped, 3-dimensional, mounded miniature of colorless, globular, jelly-like hyalite opal from an uncommon Australian locality - Squaretop Mountain, Dalby (Kiamkillenbun), Queensland. A spot of internal brown matrix adds character. Moderate lime-green fluorescence.
4.7 x 3.5 x 1.8 cm (largest). An old-time collection of 3 pieces of opal from the Virgin Valley of Nevada. All 3 pieces come with faded, numbered Wards labels. Two pieces are listed as "Precious Opal" and the largest piece has striking, colorful, fire opal gemminess and interior flash. The third piece is labeled as "Wood Opal" and looks just like a section from a tree limb, but it has been opalized. The tree limb details are exquisite. Ex. Dr. Stillwell Collection.
9.2 x 5.7 x 3 cm. A beautiful large piece of Opal from the Virgin Valley deposits. This Opal has gorgeous red, green, and occasional blue flashes with gem Opal throughout. In fact, it is 102 grams of almost pure Opal. The sliced end shows as good a red fire as I have ever seen in Virgin Valley material. This is a fantastic and rich Opal specimen, much of which is gem quality. Additioanlly, as a bonus, it is actually a replacement of a fossil tree limb, and the back of the piece shows the original sculptural form of the outside of the limb. This is classic for the location. This is old material, Charlie said he got decades ago. Ex. Charlie Key stock.
(click on a page number to go to that page:)
page 3 / 8 - prev - 120 specimens selected - next
Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The Arkenstone
Mineral Specimens by species; or
by specimen id.
|
share specimen![Opal from Virgin Valley District, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-180906a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-180906a.jpg)
![Malachite, Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Burra Burra Mine, Burra, North Mt Lofty Ranges, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia, Australia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-190490a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-190490a.jpg)
![Schorl, Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-194086a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-194086a.jpg)
![Schorl, Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-194086b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-194086b.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Valeč (Waltsch), Doupov (Duppau), Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic [db_pics/mdpics/MD-210875a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-210875a.jpg)
![Opal from Three Forks Placer, Gallatin Co., Montana, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-213176a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-213176a.jpg)
![Spessartine, Opal (Var: Opal-AN), Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz) from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-214674a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-214674a.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN), Rhodochrosite, Quartz from Santa Rita Mine, Morococha District, Yauli Province, Junín Department, Peru [db_pics/mdpics/MD-214888a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-214888a.jpg)
![Opal from Bare Mountain District (Fluorine District), Nye Co., Nevada, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-214892a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-214892a.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN), Schorl from Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-215595a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-215595a.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN), Schorl from Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-215595b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-215595b.jpg)
![Opal from Winton, Queensland, Australia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-216616a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-216616a.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Lesbos Island (Nisos Lésvos; Mytilene; Mytilini), Lésvos (Lesbos; Mytilene; Mytilini) Prefecture, Aegean Islands (Aiyaíon) Department, Greece [db_pics/mdpics/MD-224120a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-224120a.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Lesbos Island (Nisos Lésvos; Mytilene; Mytilini), Lésvos (Lesbos; Mytilene; Mytilini) Prefecture, Aegean Islands (Aiyaíon) Department, Greece [db_pics/mdpics/MD-224120b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-224120b.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-229624a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-229624a.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-229624b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-229624b.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-229624c.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-229624c.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Squaretop Mountain, Kaimkillenbun, Wambo Shire, Darling Downs-South West Region, Queensland, Australia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-236602a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-236602a.jpg)
![Opal (Var: Opal-AN) from Squaretop Mountain, Kaimkillenbun, Wambo Shire, Darling Downs-South West Region, Queensland, Australia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-236602b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-236602b.jpg)
![Opal from Virgin Valley District, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-237459a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-237459a.jpg)
![Opal from Virgin Valley District, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-240532a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-240532a.jpg)
![Opal from Virgin Valley District, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-240532b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-240532b.jpg)