CONSTABLE & CO

AUSTRALIAN OPAL SPECIALIST

Comments:  A free form shape Lightning Ridge Semi Black Opal with bright broad green flashes on a light/medium grey base

Opal valuation: Our Opal Valuations are a combination of experience gathered over 35+ years in all levels and operations within the opal industry and the internationally recognized Opal Nomenclature and Classification

Photographing opals: We endeavour at all times to take the most true to life pictures possible. However, cameras often pick up colours and light differently and variations may occur. Because every opal photographs differently, I also include in the description additional comments about the accuracy of the photos.

About Constable & Co Australian Opal Specialists  The company origins as Colonial Opal in trading Opal, Pearl and Precious Gems date from the early 1980s experience gathered in all levels and operations within the Opal Industry starting in the Wholesale and Export Gemstone and Jewellery trade within Australia and Internationally then Owning and Operating Opal Specialist Stores in Australia and New Zealand all the while being involved in the Mining, Cutting and Valuing all varieties of Australian Opal and recently my two Sons and Daughter have joining the company ensuring a continued expertise in the industry.   

Lightning Ridge Opal: Mined in the Outback of New South Wales Australia Black Opal comes from and variety of mining areas around Lightning Ridge  

Black Opal refers to the underlying colour – the colour of the opal when you turn it over. The darker the body the more valuable to stone may be. It is this darkness that lends brightness to the other colours displayed with in the stone. Black and dark opal is the scarcest of all opal and comes from the mines of Lightning Ridge.

Queensland Boulder Opal: Mined in the Outback of Queensland Australia our Opal comes from and variety of mining districts including - Winton, Koroit, Yowah, Eromanga, Jundah and Quilpie

Boulder opal is a type of opal that forms within the cavities of ironstone boulders dating from the time when central Queensland was cover by an inland sea The Opal is found in both vertical and horizontal cracks or seams. It is cut with the ironstone remaining on the back and is classified as solid opal.

Boulder Opal occurs over a Vast area of Western Queensland from North of Winton to south of Quilpie. Boulder Opal is considered to be one of the most versatile opals because it has all of the colour and patterns of expensive black or crystals opals but it is contained within the iron stone which makes it extremely durable.

When looked at from the side you can always tell a genuine solid boulder opal by the natural uneven line where the opal filled the void in the boulder.

White Opal: is also known as milky Opal and it has a pale white appearance with bright flashes of Opal colour. On the body tone and brightness chart the body colour of white Opal is N8 or N9. White Opal is capable of displaying any combination of spectral colours such as red, blue, purple and greens. 

The major difference between this type of Opal and the Black Opal is that white Opal tends to have a subdued play of colour since the body colour of the stone is light. In black Opal because the body is very dark the play of colour is much brighter. 

In terms of production the white Opal is by far the most plentiful. In Australia the majority of the opal produced comes from South Australia. There are three main South Australian opal mining fields these are Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Mintabie