Opal (fluorescent!)

Opal Butte, Morrow County, Oregon
Thumbnail, 2.8 x 2.8 x 2.3 cm
Start Time: 11/25/2017 6:30:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 11/30/2017 6:30:00 pm (CST)
Auction Closed

Item Description

A wonderful and very gemmy piece of colorless / soft golden colored Opal from the famous locality at Opal Butte, Oregon. A lot of the specimens from this area are more translucent with a golden hue, but this piece (which came to us directly from the man who mined it) shows a notably gemmy, bright colorless crystal clarity near the center, but it transitions into creamy / golden hues on the exterior edges. When rotated in the light, small iridescent "rainbow" flashes can be seen inside. It has a lot going on for one specimen, but perhaps the most interesting aspect is that the gemmier portion glows an INTENSE GREEN hue under SW UV light! The more opaque portion hardly fluoresces at all. It's certainly one of the better pieces of this material that we've had to offer in the auctions in terms of clarity and color. The Opals from this locality are some of my favorite Opals from anywhere in the US, and this piece would make a great addition to an Opal suite or a collection of cryptocrystalline specimens.

Did You Know We Offer Custom Bases?

Learn More