Cody Opal Australia
Jewellery in Melbourne

The company has an extensive stock of limp opal, including hard black boulder crystal and light opals as healthy as doublets and triplets. A range of lovely opal jewellery complements the collection of loose stones including firm black, boulder, crystal and light opals. The large stock ranges from gem quality through to commercial grades and includes cut stones, opal rough, opal specimens and opalised fossils. Here is housed the world's most urgent collection of opalised fossils and opal specimens. Our stock is always changing, but we can assist establish your needs and provide the correct stone for you. The value of an opal is determined by the type of opal, the predominant colors it exhibits, the clarity or brilliance of these colors, and the patterns in which the colors are arrayed. Body Tone The base tones of light, dark and dark opal range from colorless, white, through the various shades of Frey, to black. A blue green brilliant stone will usually be more cherished than a dull red stone. Light opal makes up the bulk of valuable opal and comes from all fields but the majority is found in South Australia. Brilliant light opal can be extremely valuable. Fine grade boulder opals have the top surface covered with cherished opal. Boulder is a variety of precious opal that forms naturally within the host rock, often honest a slim vein of valuable opal is present. Matrix opal increases in value with brilliance and as the quantity of cherished opal becomes a higher proportion of the face of the stone. Australia now produces majority of the world’s opal supply. Important and small ironstone boulders are separate in the search for that occult opal vein. The field was discovered in 1935 and is famous for producing brilliant crystal seam opal. Today there is only very limited mining activity. The material is typically light and dismal seam opal. Australia now produces around 95 per cent of the world's opal supply. Throughout history opal has been regarded as the stone of good fortune. (The Curios' Lore of Cherished Stones, by George F. In Roman times the gem was carried as a appropriate luck charm or talisman, as it was believed that an opal brought its owner appropriate fortune. There are a scanty areas at some fields which may on occasions bear unstable material. Opal Enhydrite specimens have ancient water encapsulated within them, while opals from all fields have been found to restrain microbes. Many opalised fossils are highly meaningful to international science.

Watch our videos that tell the history of Opals. The ancient Romans popularized opals more than two thousand years ago, when opals were found at Czernowitz, a mountainous region of Slovakia, which was at that time part of Hungary. In this most crucial publication he wrote that opal is the most highly prized and cherished of all gemstones in the empire. Although Pliny suggests opal came from India, it did in fact open in Hungary. Pliny wrote: For in the opal you shall see the burning fire of the carbuncle or ruby, the esplendid purple of the amethyst, the green sea of the emerald and all glittering together, mixed behind an incredible manner. Some opals carry such resplendent luster with them that they are capable to match the bravest and richest colors of painters: others represent the flaming fire of brimstone, yea and the bright blaze of burning oil. Pliny also wrote that opals achieved the greatest price because of their rarity and their beauty. He writes of Those who have written books of valuable stone have given unto them the name and gloried of the uppermost price. Commenting on the value of opals, he indicates that, then as now, it was women who set the value of gems: Thus far I have written of gems and valuable stones which be esteemed principally and maximum rich, according to the decree set down and pronounced by our pleasing and costly dames. Opal has been worn in the crowns of kings. The crown jewels of France and Hungary included fine specimens of opal. The crown of the Holy Roman Emperor contained an opal stone. Napoleon presented his Empress Josephine with the Burning of Troy, a exquisite opal with brilliant red flashes. Queen Victoria became a lover of opal and wore opals throughout her reign. Her friends and five daughters were presented with fine opals. Opal became highly sought behind because the Royal Court of England was regarded as the model for fashion around the world. It was not lengthy before famous designers such as Tiffany, Lalique and Cartier began using opal extensively in their jewellery. Australia now produces around 95 per cent of the world's opal supply.