Black Opal

Learn more...

The black opals you’ll find on our website are perfectly cut for making your own unique opal ring, opal pendant, black opal earrings, and even as part of a bracelet with mounted opals. READ MORE

As black opals come in unique shapes and sizes, you can only custom design your opal jewelry once you’ve found the perfect opal. When you find the right opal to use in your jewelry, it really is a love affair… love at first sight in fact.

Black opals come in a wide variety of patterns and colors, so you may search a long time before you find the perfect opal,, but you will know it as soon as you see it. Simply seeing photos of black opals isn’t good enough to make an opal buying decision, which is why every one of our opals has a short video and explanation to showcase the play of color that becomes the centerpiece of your opal jewelry.

Black Opals from Lightning Ridge, Australia

We add new black opal gemstones to our catalog every week. Many of our opals are sold within days of being posted online so you might miss that perfect, precious black opal gemstone if you’re not quick. All our black opals are from the one region, Lightning Ridge.

Did you know that 97% of the world’s sedimentary opals come from our fine country Down Under, aka Australia, and that Lighting Ridge is the main source for precious black opal gemstones? When you buy black opal from us,  you are guaranteed to receive a real black opal gemstone that came from the region of Lightning Ridge.

To learn more about Australian black opal and all the other opal types, head over to our opal guide here.  To buy black opal, simply use the filters on the right and the sort feature below to refine your selections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is black opal?

Black opal is a type of opal that has a black body tone with patches of color. This does not mean the gems are completely black.  The very dark underlying body tone makes the light bounce back out of the opal and display an intensity of color and brightness, in comparison to a lighter or crystal opal in which the color is not as saturated.

What is the most expensive black opal? 

The world of opal is a secretive one. Opals are sometimes mined and sold to collectors, never being seen by more than a handful of people, so it’s very difficult to tell. We’ve known of some outstanding gems that would be valued in the millions of dollars. 

How much is black opal worth?

Unlike diamonds, there is no menu or scale of prices to go by. Opals are more like art. There are a number of value factors that make black opal valuable including origin, body tone, play of color, predominant color and finally, pattern. Like all gems the brighter and more vibrant the black opal, the higher the value. Australian black opal is the most valuable of all the black opal for sale and if comparing it to dark opal or crystal opal, it tends to be the most valuable

Do black opals only come from Australia?

Most black opal gemstones are found in Australia and our black opal is the only type to be found in nobbies, or nodules. Black opal is rarely found in other locations.

How can I tell if my black opal is real?

All the black opal for sale on our website is 100% natural solid opal that hasn’t been treated. We suggest you always purchase from a reputable supplier or store to ensure you are getting the real thing. You can also check out our real quide which shows you all the different varieties of opal from natural to composites, imitations and synthetics.

Why is black opal more expensive than other opal?

Easy! Australian black opal is the rarest type of opal. The majority is found only in one small place in the world and its unique nature of carbon and iron oxide trace elements give it its black body tone. There is simply no other region that produces the same quality as Lightning Ridge.

Are black opals worth more than diamonds?

The answer is definitely yes! Black opals can be worth more than some diamonds, particularly the traditional white diamonds.

What color is the most valuable in black opal?

Black opal produces the most vivid of colors that are created by the light refracting out through the silica spheres that make up opal. The largest of these spheres are also the rarest and the color that they refract out is red. When looking to buy black opal we refer to the more valuable as being “red on black”.

What makes a black opal black?

Black opal is like any other opal in chemical composition. It is a form of hydrated silica – SiO₂·nH₂O. What makes black opal black is the addition of trace elements of carbon and iron oxide.

What is the meaning of black opal?

There are many myths and strong feelings towards opal throughout time and in Greek times, Pliny the Elder called opal the Queen of Gems.

Browse our selection online and find the perfect black opal piece to add to your collection or give as a gift to someone special. Shop now and experience the timeless allure of black opal for yourself.

Item added to cart.
0 items - $0.00