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Dark opal is just a few shades lighter than black opal and can have just as much brightness and play of color without the price tag. READ MORE
Dark opals are a great way to own a larger impressive stone in carat weight and display a lighter body tone of between N5 and N6 on the body tone scale.
The potch on a dark opal is usually a gray potch and is slightly more common than our black opal and can be found in every other opal mining field in Australia making dark opal a more plentiful supply.
An opal classified as dark rather than black often exhibits some of the most prized colourations. Consider the colors of a tropical ocean, the lighter blues, aquamarines and mint greens, coupled with golds and oranges – these are often the colors found in dark opal. Dark opals are usually also the most likely to have the unicorn of color – the elusive pinks and blues together. Because the body tone is not as dark, red becomes more pink and seems to us to be more abundant in the dark opals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dark opal?
Dark opal is opal with a darker or grey bodytone which cannot be called black but is not white or crystal. On the Munsell scale it is classified as N5-N6. Many of the beautiful blue green and aqua opals are classified as dark opal as the color intensity is in the mid range, rather than the fully saturated colors of a black opal.
Is dark opal valuable?
Dark opals are valuable. There are few places in the world that produce this material with Australia being the most prolific. Dark opals exhibit the mid range colors such as aqua, fushia and golden orange. If you are looking for an opal displaying pink, then dark opals should be considered as they seem to produce the broadest selections of pink.
What is potch?
Potch is common opal – most often the black or grey patches that give an opal its body tone. It is formed when the silica spheres don’t line up neatly – like a jumbled box full of different sized balls altogether. Potch can also be white or very light – like the material found on white opal. Potch is generally opaque.