2.35 Ct.Tw.Total Carat Weight Cabochon Opal Pair from Ethiopia

From the red soils of Ethiopia to the light filled rooms of our lapidary studio, these White Opals began their story as delicate silica gels laid down over millennia, absorbing the history of their landscape. Miners working ancient seams gently extracted nodules that held the promise of color within their milky depths, and each stone carries the memory of that patient formation. At The Natural Gemstone Company we value that provenance, and we honor the slow, geological artistry that produced these oval multi color opals. The origin in Ethiopia imparts a particular character, a soft and ethereal base that allows flashes of green, blue, and warm red to awaken as the stone moves, and because these gems are untreated, every flicker of play of color is an honest expression of the earth itself.

When the rough arrived at our workshop it was studied and mapped, to find the best orientation for revealing maximum color while preserving weight and symmetry. Skilled cutters chose the cabochon style to best showcase the internal fire, and shaped the pair into harmonious ovals with dimensions of 9.15 x 7.15 x 3.86 mm and 9.07 x 7.10 x 3.64 mm, weighing 1.14 carats and 1.21 carats respectively. The cabochon cut encourages broad, painterly flashes rather than pinpoint reflections, and our cutters worked with precision to achieve an excellent polish that allows light to move freely across each dome. No enhancement was applied, so the surface you see is the result of patient skill and careful finishing, a surface that catches light and returns it as living color, a testament to both the raw material and the human hands that revealed its beauty.

Comparing their clarity and color reveals why these stones form such a superior matched pair, and why they are ideal for thoughtful settings. Both stones carry a clarity grade of very slightly included when evaluated at eye level, meaning inclusions are minimal and non distracting, and they are distributed in a way that supports color rather than interrupts it. The first at 1.14 carats displays a slightly broader spread of tender blue and sea green flashes with warm salmon and pink highlights that emerge when tilted. The second at 1.21 carats emphasizes brighter emerald and chartreuse specks that pop against the soft white base, with complementary pink and orange tones that dance at certain angles. Their color intensity is medium, which in a White Opal context yields refined translucence, allowing the background body tone to soften the palette and make the play of color feel more luminous. Because the clarity characteristics are very similar, and because the polish and cabochon height were matched with care, the two stones respond to light in a near identical manner, creating a balanced face up appearance that is hard to achieve with otherwise unmatched pieces. The subtle differences in dominant flashes are a strength rather than a flaw, providing visual interest while maintaining harmony.

As finished gems these opals are ready to become heirloom focal points, each one carrying a narrative from Ethiopian fields to a jeweler skilled in stone setting. The Natural Gemstone Company presents them as a matched pair that respects the stones natural identity, with no treatments to alter their inherent tone or play of color. Their medium intense coloration, very slightly included clarity, cabochon cut, excellent polish, and near identical measurements make them particularly well suited for paired designs, such as matched stud earrings, a twin pendant, or an asymmetric ring and companion piece that celebrate both unity and gentle individuality. Choosing this pair means choosing opals that tell a geological story, that bring the soft, shifting light of Ethiopian fields into daily wear, and that have been prepared with care and transparency by a company committed to natural beauty. If you would like further details about setting options, custom mounts, or certification, we at The Natural Gemstone Company are ready to guide the transformation of these stones into a piece that carries their story forward.