Blue Opal (Copper-bearing) (39.58 grams)

Item Description

Since the 1980s, we've seen some of the finest gem quality Blue Opal in the world coming from the Acari Mine in Peru. You might see this material marketed as "Andean Opal" or "Andes Opal", but regardless of the name, the color is mesmerizing. The strong blue color is created by copper content, (we've seen reported that it's from the presence of Chrysocolla), but the saturation in incredibly strong, even in smaller pieces. I've even seen pieces over the years with small black dendritic inclusions that produce some gorgeous polished material. This miniature specimen is a wonderful piece of this sought after material featuring a gemmy zone of intensely colored rich greenish-blue Opal in between a white layers on the top and a golden layer beneath. This is solid 100% Opal throughout, and the color is superb when it's backlit. You can see that there are good gemmy zones in this specimen, and I think it's safe to say this one is lapidary grade, probably good enough to cut and polish if one desired. I'm a big fan of Opal, and this material is some of my favorite ever found, as they are some of the most distinctive and beautiful pieces out there. Specimen weight is 39.58 grams.