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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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”.

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.

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.