SOLD
SM19-32
Boulder Opal
Quilpie, Queensland, Australia
Cabinet, 10.4 x 5.6 x 5.4 cm
SOLD

Australian Boulder Opal forms within a cracks or cavities in an ironstone and sandstone sequence. This specimen does an exceptional job of displaying the formation history. Opalescent layers of this mineraloid swirls between two rock domains. The excellent “play of color” here is due to diffraction of light by submicroscopic silica spheres. The purple, sky-blue, and peachy layers combined with electric green and vermillion fire make this piece pop. Not only is the matrix academically interesting, but the visual contrast makes this piece pop in a display. This piece has been most likely stabilized (glue), reducing the risk of fracturing associated with this type of Opal.

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