40 Year Old Rough

This 40-year-old rough has been safely locked away until now.

The time has come to cut this opal rough hailing from Coober Pedy. I feel very lucky to be able to cut this beautiful piece.

Coober Pedy Opal

Most white opal comes from Coober Pedy but can be found in every opal field in Australia. This type of opal was one of the first discovered and taken to market and it’s what most people visualize when discussing opal.

Fun Facts:

• Coober Pedy is known as the original opal capital of the world
• Famous for their underground lifestyle — shopping, churches, and houses are located underground
• Houses were built into the hills and were known as dugouts in the early days
• By building underground they protect the town folk from the scorching heat in summer and the freezing cold in winter

Upon examination, my first thought was to slice and make multiple gems. However, looking at the color bar, maybe one large gem is where it’s at. As long as it cleans up enough that it goes translucent to be a Crystal Opal.