It’s not often we are dumbstruck when it comes to opal but this one had us FLOORED. Recently discovered and mined by a long time friend in Lightning Ridge this opal represents a once in a lifetime find.
Aptly named The Rainbow Serpent Opal after the aboriginal creator of life, the gem weighs 30.56 carats and displays a striated pattern of reds, blues, greens, oranges and gold. It has been identified as striated pattern with a lizard skin pattern on the sides of the gem. The colour play is vivid and three dimensional as the opal is moved around.
“When I saw the opal, I was astounded that it was even real, the lines of colour were so intense and defined it reminded me of something alive and moving. I immediately thought of the dreamtime story of the Rainbow serpent” said Justin.
The Rainbow Serpent Story
The Aboriginal Dreamtime story tells of the creator, the Rainbow Serpent who lived underground. She carried all the animal tribes in her belly. When it was time she moved through the earth and pushed up through it, throwing the land out and creating the mountains and hills. She made fire and all the colours of the earth as she wound her way through the land. She carried up the frogs who had stored all the water in their bellies and woke them up by tickling them. The water poured out and made the oceans and the rivers from the patterns she had made.
As a tribute to this dreaming story, there was no better name for this precious gem.
Because we’ve always taught you that synthetic opal can be characterised by this lizard skin pattern, which often occurs at a 90 degree angle to the columnar striated pattern, we thought a trip to see Anthony Smallwood, a gemologist and a world expert on opal was in order. Anthony conducted a number of tests and confirmed that the opal was indeed 100% natural.
“Spectacular” was his description and we would agree.
Whilst the stone has been sold to a private collector in North America, we are hoping that one day it can be put on display for all to see. So for now enjoy the video with Anthony and also our 30 second video of the stone at the bottom of this post.
The Rainbow Serpent Video
Woooowwww!! ? Extraordinary stone!! ??????
Thanks for sharing!! ??????
You are welcome Melanie it an extraordinary stone. One we will never see again
For once you can say, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t” — and you’d be wrong.
What a dazzling example of the magnificence of a good opal, although the word “good”, as applied to any other stone normally described as such, just can’t describe this one …
Thanks for the video.
Yes a gem like this one only come around once in a lifetime. I have never seen an opal quite like it and am proud to have owned it.
Just watched it again (and again … ).
Can only say, “Phenomenal”.
Love this video. What an unbelievable opal!
Thank Danny she is a real beaut mate and I may be bring to Tucson next year to show it
I’d love to hear the full story behind the finding of this stone (suitably modified, of course, to protect identities).
Was it found in the usual way — clawed out of the wall by a digger, jacked out, gouged out by hand or, even impossibly, specked on a dump?
The old Ion Idriess stories of The Ridge are a powerful introduction to the world of opal. Those days are well and truly gone, but the romance still reverberates.
And the beauty of the stone is unmatchable.
Yes just waiting for a few details before telling the story but we shall be giving it
Thank you. Can’t wait.