Black opals
Origin of black opals
The black opals are among the rarest and most fascinating gemstones in the world. They come mainly from Australia. Their dark background highlights intense multicolor reflections.
Very popular for centuries, they have seduced kings, emperors and collectors. Indeed, their unique beauty immediately attracts attention.
In the past, many opals had clear, milky hues. However, the discovery of black opals in Australia, in the late 1800s, profoundly transformed the world of precious stones.
Thus, black opal quickly became famous. Today, it is often seen as the queen of precious stones.
Lightning Ridge in Australia: cradle of black opals
Lightning Ridge is today one of the most famous places for black opals. This city of Australia is known for its rare stones and intense colours.
Its landscape is marked by red earth, blue sky and dry vegetation. These contrasts recall the changing colors of black opal.
Each opal is unique. No stone has exactly the same reflections. This reinforces its charm and value.
Over time, black opal has also inspired many beliefs. Some civilizations have been associated with protection, luck or mystery.
Why black opal is considered the rarest and most precious
At Lightning Ridge, the first place to discover black opal was not this mining site. Opals were found in Egypt in 1899, two years before the first deposit was discovered by Jack Murray in 1901, in Jundah, Queensland and later in White Cliffs.
But Lightning Ridge's opal was recognized as different, and it was this difference that made it famous.
Until then, the world had never seen such incredible opal patterns on such a beautiful and black background. Lightning Ridge's supply of black opal radically changed the way precious stone merchants evaluated opals, thereby establishing an unprecedented stamp for precious stone.
Black opal is considered the rarest and most precious of all opals and is usually in the form of a bar of different colors in a dark body. In addition, there are also semi-black and black opals.
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales is recognized as the world home of black opal. This region produces some of the best black opals in the world.
Black opal is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
Not only have fuel prices and rental costs made the extraction of opals very expensive, but scarcity is now a reality. This trend has emerged for years, and it has become rare to find quality red light black opal.
Most of the opal at Lightning Ridge, which is formed in bands similar to Coober Pedy's opals, is now difficult to find.
Black opals that have formed like nuggets are now rare. Even the color base of black opals has changed in recent years; the natural base is now more of a grey black color than dark black as was usually the case.
The miners now find a lot of semi-black opal. Colour guides for black opal can be used to evaluate the darkness of a black opal. N5 is the darkest, and H1, the lightest.
Guide to the basic tones of black opals.
Understanding the N1 to N5 scale of black opals
The scale of the tonalities, ranging from N1 to N5, allows to classify the intensity of the background of the black opal.
N1 represents the deepest and rarest black, offering maximum contrast with the sets of colors.
As we approach N5, the bottom becomes clearer, influencing the perception of reflections and the value of the stone.
Discover our selection of natural opals and find the stone that suits you.
