An opal stones always bursts with life and vitality, the dazzling, hypnotic play-of-colour, makes it the queen of all gems, as it captures a rainbow in one stone. Generally these stones are naturally available, but to make them strong and to last stronger, a layer of black material is attached to the back of the stone, that variety of stone is known as doublet opals (because of double layers).
The other types of opals are
- Black opals: This variety of opal is the most valued variety of opal that comes mainly from the Lightning Ridge of Australia. These high quality stones are very rare to be found are quite expensive. The blackness of the body tone makes it easily distinguishable from fake ones. These dark coloured gem stones show a play of different colours within them. When viewed from the top, black opal can either be a crystal or opaque. Few black opals have a light crystal colour bar on dark opal potch, giving it a unique look. Black opals exhibiting bright flashes of red are extremely rare variety.
- Light/White opals: Natural opals with a base colour ranging from colourless to medium grey are called light opal. Light opals make up the bulk of precious opal. This range of gems may be transparent through to nearly opaque. A milky appearance is commonly found in light opals.
- Boulder opal: Boulder is a variety that has the host rock forming naturally as a part of the gem. It mainly occurs in specific locations and they occur as in-fillings of cracks or voids usually in ironstone boulders.
- Matrix opal: The matrix opal is commonly used where the opal is intimately diffuses as infillings of pores or holes between grains of the host rock in which it was formed.
Depending on the taste and budget one chooses these gems for jewellery.
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