1.17 Ct. Semi-Black Opal from Australia

Beneath the timeless red earth of Australia a slow and patient story began that spans millions of years, an affair between water and silica that yielded tiny orderly spheres that trap and scatter light. In the ancient floodplains where ash and sediment slept for ages those silica spheres settled into layers, and under subtle pressure they became the hidden architecture that gives opal its living color. From these fields the Semi Black Opal emerges with a darker whisper of body tone that makes its blues and greens sing with extra intensity, a subtle stage that reveals color like stage lights on a secret performance. Miners working remote seams know this language of stone, they feel the weight of possibility in a lump of potch, and when the right strike comes the rough is carried to the hands of cutters and polishers who read the stone like a map. The journey from geological miracle to finished gem ties the land to your life, and when you hold this opal you are holding a condensed narrative of place, time, and careful human attention.

This particular gem arrives to you as a single opaque multi color opal weighing 1.17 carat, cut into a graceful oval with dimensions 9.46 x 7.22 x 2.57 mm, presenting a tablet cut that favors broad flashes and painterly color seams across its surface. Its clarity is graded very slightly included evaluated at eye level, which means that to the naked eye the stone reads as clean and whole, while small natural inclusions speak to its authenticity and natural origin. Color intensity is medium intense, a measured vibrancy that allows both blue and green to play together without overpowering one another, and the polish is excellent, a high shine that amplifies the internal light show whenever the angle catches it. There has been no enhancement, the stone is natural and untreated, and its Australian origin gives it that lineage of opal heritage that collectors respect. The Semi Black Opal type provides a dusky backdrop that deepens the greens and blues into velvety ribbons, a palette that feels both modern and elemental.

The crafting of this opal into its tablet cut was a deliberate choice made by an experienced lapidary who sought to honor the opal topography that lay within the rough. Tablet cutting yields a broad flatish face that showcases color play in sweeping strokes, it preserves weight while opening fields of color that can be read across the stone like a miniature landscape. Skilled hands measured and oriented the rough to reveal the most favorable planes of color, they removed superfluous material with patience, and they polished the surface to an excellent finish that rewards the eye with a wet luminous look. The result is an oval that sits comfortably in settings and wears well as a central stone or as a refined accent, its thickness of 2.57 mm providing enough substance for secure mounting yet remaining elegant and wearable. This opal will look superb as a pendant where light can move across it freely, and it will also become a captivating ring if set with a protective bezel or a low profile saddle that keeps the tablet face safe without hiding its color.

At The Natural Gemstone Company we honor every step of this stones journey, from Australian seam to the finished gem we present to you, and we provide transparent data so you know exactly what you are bringing home. This Semi Black Opal is a statement of natural beauty, with its 1.17 carat weight, oval shape, tablet cut, and dimensions 9.46 x 7.22 x 2.57 mm, clarity very slightly included evaluated at eye level, medium intense color intensity, excellent polish, no enhancement, and Australian origin. Owning a piece like this is to carry a fragment of landscape and story, a gem that responds to light and motion with quiet drama. To care for it, avoid harsh chemical cleaners, extreme temperature shifts, and prolonged drying, a soft cloth after wear will help maintain its polish, and a protective setting will preserve it for generations. If you would like a bespoke mounting suggestion or have questions about how this opal will perform in a particular design, contact us at The Natural Gemstone Company, we will walk you through options and help you celebrate the gems past while making it part of your future.