Australian Opal - Black Opal, by Black Opal Direct in Lightning Ridge

Australian Opal Jewelry

Australia has undoubtedly the best opal in the world. Lightning Ridge black opal has produced most of this opal and has made up 90% of Australian Opal Jewelry. Because Lightning Ridge produces black opal, we have the ability to make the best jewellry in the world. Black opal is the most valuable opal ever found on earth making Australian opal jewelry the most unique type of jewelry.

Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge is a town about 700 kilometres north west of Sydney and the same distance from Brisbane. In Lightning Ridge there are only a few thousand people living there today unlike the 80s and 90s when it was a bustling town of over 10,000 people. Lightning Ridge is the Mecca and the home of the black opal.

Australian Opal Rough

Australia is one of the richest known areas in the world that supplies miners with Australian opal rough. Rough is the term used for opal that has just come out of a mine unchanged by humans. Australian opal rough is formed from silica and collects in cavities and fissures in the ground. Opal miners either sell the rough opal the way it is or they will send the opal to an opal cutter to get cut and polished. It can be good decision sometimes but opal rough can look like it is worth more in its rough state than cut.

Free Form Opal

Free form opal is the term used for opal that is either carved or left in its original shape and then polished. Opals are commonly cut into ovals but when they are carved or left in free form opal they can look very original and different from the run of the mill oval shape. Free forms can save you carats and color by chasing the color instead of cutting it away. Free form opal looks great in pendants and ring because the designs can be really out there.

Opal Chips

Opal Chips are small pieces of opal that people collect together in jars to make a colorful ornament or sentimental objects. Opal chips have been used in many types of ways including watch faces, doublets and trinkets. Tourists buy opal chips bottles as souvenirs in Lightning Ridge. The bottles can look fantastic if the opal chip has lots of color in them, making the whole bottle shine pattern and color.

Australian Opal Cutters

Many opal cutters around the world have experience with opal cutting different types of opal but many people have little idea about how Australian opal can cut. Lightning Ridge opal is one of the most difficult types of opal to cut. Australian Opal Cutters have the most experience with the Lightning Ridge gemstone because they are at the source and see what opal comes from each opal field. This is very important to the way opal can be cut...

Rough Australian Opal

All the rough opal that comes from Australia is some of the most stable in the world. Rough Australian Opal can come in very many different colors and body tones, ranging from blues to greens and reds. All these gemstones are mined and sold around the world and Australia has the best in the world. Black Opal is a type of opal that comes mainly only from Lightning Ridge and is the most valuable of all the opal types

Rare Opal

Every Country produces opal in the ground but only very few countries produce precious opal. That is opal that has color and therefore considered Rare Opal. The most rare type of opal is the black opal from Lightning Ridge in Australia. These natural gemstones are of the most rare type of opal in the world and can reach prices of over $15,000 per carat. The black opal is mainly found in Australia and that is why it is so rare and beautiful.

Unset Opal

All opals that have been cut and polished but not set in jewelry are considered unset opal. You will find unset opal at wholesalers and retail stores. An Unset Opal is a great way to make a piece of jewelry that is your own design. It also is a safe way of buying a solid opal. Many people have bought opal in jewelry and have not realised that they have bought a doublet.

Opal Cutting

Opal cutting is very popular past time around the world. Many people from the United States and Europe are the most poplar countries that like to dabble in opal. Opal Cutting lightning Ridge opal is one of the most difficult types of opal to cut and polish because of the way the opal needs to be cut on with black potch on the back of the stone. Many opal cutters have lost valuable color by cutting too far past the colour-bar.

Man Opal Ring

Alot of men in the world have bought opal to wear as a wedding ring instead of the traditional diamond ring. The Man Opal Ring is a less popular but definately not lacking in beauty and style. Most men that wear opals in a ring have larger stones to go with their larger hands.

Black Opal Jewelry

Opal jewelry today is and has become more popular.One of the most sort after types of opal jewelry is Black Opal Jewelry. The black opal being so rare has made the opal a valuable gemstone to consider. Black opal mainly only comes from Lightning Ridge in Australia. This gemstone has become renound for its lustre and beauty not parralleld by any other opal in the world.
Black opal usualy comes in a nobby form but has the ability to form in seams as well.

Opal Gemstones

Opal as a gemstone has grown in popularity over the years but dates back to the begining of roman times as a precious stone even then. Many rulers of European countries wore Opal Gemstones to show their wealth and prosperity. Back in thoe days black opal was never heard of. Lightning Ridge was not found until thousands of years later. Opal has a hardness of 6 to 7 on the hardness scale which is relativley soft fo a gemstone.

Loose Opals

One of the best and safest ways to buy opal is loosely. from a dealer that has been around for many years. The dealer having much experience will be able to guide you to buying the right type of opal and not give you the wrong and unstable type that is out there. Loose Opals Are also a great way to start your own design piece. you can draw a design around the opal and show your jewlery maker to see if it is viable.

Rough Opal

Rough opal is one of Black OPal Directs Specialties. We know the best types of Rough Opal to buy and will pass on the knowledge that has been gained many years of experience grown from living and working on the opa fields at Lighting Ridge.
Black opal is one of the hardest type of opal to purchase and we make sure that your purchase has the value in it to keep you happy every time.

Australian Boulder Opal

Australia has many different types of opal and one of the best secong only to Lightning Ridge opal is Australian Boulder Opal.
This beautiful gemstone comes from the western Queensland areas inland. The opal is found in a host rock called ironstone. The ironstone is a brown color and makes alot of mess when cutting it. Most boulder opal has undulating faces because the opal is usually found in thin seams in the host rock..

For more information on opal cutting or purchasing opal. Please email blackopalsdirect@live.com or you can call me on Skype My username is Blackopaldirect and it's free!

Australian opal jewelry - Lightning Ridge - Australian opal rough - Free form opal - Opal Chips - Australian Opal Cutters - Rough Australian Opal - Rare Opal - Unset Opal - Opal Cutting - Man Opal Ring - Black Opal Jewelry - Opal Gemstones - Loose Opals - Rough Opals - Australian Boulder Opal - Australian Opal

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