Solid black opal is found mainly in Lightning Ridge in Australia. Black opal is a dark-bodied or a dark tint throughout the opal, making the color in the opal bright and beautiful. Solid black opal...
Australian Opal inlay is the term for opal that has been inset into precious metal. The gem is polished at the same time as the metal, and the opal flattened to the same height as the precious meta...
Australian Black Opal comes from Lightning Ridge in the outback of New South Wales, Australia. Commercially it would produce over 95% of the World’s black opal in terms of quantity and quality. Ot...
How to cut a Nobby..polishing of rough opal made to look easy…Watch master cutter Justin from Black Opal Direct polish a piece of rough ‘Nobby’ with a flat colour bar into an oval cabochon. In this...
Calibrated opal is the term for opal that has been cut and polished in oval sizes that are on a calibrated scale. For example, A 6 x 9 millimetre calibrated opal is a standard size opal and would g...
Why purchase an opal pendant? For centuries pendants have been worn as items of adornment for woman. An opal pendant is eye-catching. The colour play in an opal will mean that the stone when viewed...
What is a Jelly Opal? Jelly opal is an opal that has a jelly look to it. It is just like crystal opal but the opal color is a little bit faint so you can see through the opal pretty easily. Jelly o...
How is Gem Black Opal found? Gem black opal is found in the formation of a nobby (rounded nodule) or in a seam. Lightning Ridge in Australia is the only sedimentary deposit in the world for Gem Bl...
The term cabochon refers to a curved and polished dome. Opals are cut as cabochons and can be cut low, medium or high domed. Advantages of opal cabochons A cabochon cut allows a setting edge for t...