Picture Guide to Opals
Black Opal
Opal which is found with a natural black or dark background. This background can range from pitch black to grey giving the stone are darkish appearance and when seen from the top is opaque [Not allowing light to pass through]. It is the dark background which allows the brilliant colors. Black opal can be any color. The specimen pictured has a dominant color of blue. It is approximately 1-1/2 cm in length.[This particular stone has now sold].
Dark Opal
Dark opal is found on most fields. It’s background color ranges from grey to near black.. Black opals are in the same family as Dark opals [also opaque- not allowing light to pass through]. They are just dark opals with a blacker background. As the background of this stone becomes lighter and greyer it gets closer to light opal and its sometimes difficult to decide whether a dark opal should be categorized as dark or light. Its often in the eye of the beholder.
White Opal
A solid opal with an opaque [non see-through] light background. White opal is often called milk opal because of its light appearance. Crystal opal is of the same family but it is more translucent and sometimes transparent whereas the color of white opal is on the surface. This type of opal can appear in all fields but Coober Pedy is famous for it.
Mosaic Opal
The previously described opals are all naturally formed. Mosaic opal is created by a skilled artist who assembles the small pieces of natural opal into a mosaic pattern. These Slivers of genuine opal are assembled into an irregular tiled pattern with rivers of black potch framing each unique opal tile. Mosaic opals make stunning stones for all types of jewelry and allow the jeweler to include a wide range of colors within an affordable piece. This assembly of small opal pieces is not to be confused with the Harlequin opal which features squarish spangles of color appearing naturally in the opal face. It is the rarest and most expensive opal.