What is a black opal? How much is it worth? And why is it often considered more valuable than other opals? Here’s what you need to know about the black opal ♦ ︎

Think about it: jewels with a black opal in the center are more and more appreciated. Not only: on average they cost more than others. The opal is a stone that came back into fashion a few years ago and black opal is the queen of this type of gem.

Katherin Jetter, anello con opale nero e spinello — Katherin Jetter, black opal and spinel ring

The opal is a stone famous for its iridescent shades. In geology it is considered a mineraloid, and is chemically an amorphous hydrated form of silica. It is also the national gemstone of Australia, the countries where black opals are found. And, in particular, in the area of Lightning Ridge, the capital of opals.

Read also: Everything on the opal

We must also add that there are two large classes of opal: the precious ones and the common ones. The precious opal has its famous iridescence, while the common opal does not. The iridescence is caused by the internal structure of the opal, which causes the diffraction of light, with the consequent change in color. The black opal is considered the rarest, while white, gray and green are the most common.

Chopard, Fiori d’Opali, anello con opale nero di 20 carati con pistilli di diamanti montati su oro bianco rodiato nero e petali cesellati in titanio colorato di striature blu e gambo con tasavoriti verdi, lazuliti e diamanti brown — Chopard, Fiori d’Opali, ring with 20-carat black opal with diamond pistils mounted on black rhodium-plated white gold and chiseled petals in titanium colored with blue streaks and stem with green tasavorites, lazulites and brown diamonds

Why is the black opal so rare? The tough activity to extraction is the most frustrating activities in the world. To find a black opal you have to dig holes at random in particularly rich areas, where the diggers fit into an extremely deep well, risking to fall for about twenty meters, they risk their lives. In short, when you see a jewel with black opal, know that finding it has cost effort and risk. Of course, the prospect of a profit corresponds to work: a large black opal can reach up to 15,000 Australian dollars (about 9200 euros).

Anello con tsavorite, opale nero, diamanti — Michael-Kneebone, ring with tsavorite, black opal, diamonds

What distinguishes black opals? Black opals have traces of carbon and iron oxide. The body of the gem varies from black to dark gray. In short, the black opal is not black: it is colored on a dark background. It is this unusually dark shade that allows rainbow iridescences to appear more vividly than light opals. Of course, not all black opals are the same: the value of stone may depend on many other factors, such as brightness, body color, shape, colors, and any defects.

Anello con opale e zaffiri — George Pragnell, black opal and sapphire ring

How are opals cut? Usually, the classic cut of opal is the cabochon. The way an opal has been polished and cut has a great influence on the overall value. The cut affects its final price.

Anello con opale taglio a pera. In vendita per 90.000 dollari — Martin Katz, pear cut opal ring

For those who believe … There are many people who imagine that stones have special powers and can affect the lives of men. In the Middle Ages, the opal was considered a lucky stone. Some thought it could guarantee invisibility if the opal was wrapped in a fresh, hand-held bay leaf, much like the Harry Potter cloak. But in the nineteenth century, the opal became suddenly suspect. In a novel by Walter Scott a woman wears an opal with supernatural powers: when a drop of holy water falls on the stone, it becomes colorless and the woman dies shortly after. After the novel, the opal was referred to as porta bad luck and sales in Europe fell by 50%. Who was right?

Anello in oro bianco, diamanti, opale, zaffiro, granati — Cartier, ring in white gold, diamonds, black opal, sapphire, garnets

Orecchini pendenti degli anni Cinquanta con diamanti e opali — Seaman Schepps, 1950s diamond and black opal drop earrings

Anello in oro con opale, due zaffiri arancio e lacca nera — Maison Auclert, gold ring with opal, two orange sapphires and black lacquer

Pendente Carcinus, oro giallo 18 carati, opale nero, acquamarina, zaffiri blu — Daniela Villegas, Carcinus pendant, 18K yellow gold, black opal, aquamarine, blue sapphires

Anello Astrolabio, con diamanti bianchi, opale nero, zaffiri blu, gialli e arancio, tsavorite — Lorenza Baumer, Astrolabe ring, with white diamonds, black opal, blue, yellow and orange sapphires, tsavorite

1 Comment

Mario Wormuth says:
December 7, 2021 at 5:25 pm
Wow, you have written quite an exciting article on the subject of opal here. We as opal dealers are always happy when we read such exciting contributions.
By the way, you can find the best opals in our webshop: https://opal-schmiede.com/
Kind regards