11.19 Ct. Boulder Opal from Australia

This piece is a striking boulder opal, opaque in body and graded as 11.19 carats, with precise dimensions of 22.36 by 11.88 by 5.56 millimeters. The stone is cut in a tablet style, a flat table presentation designed to maximize the broad, intense blue plane visible across the face, with a trimmed girdle that preserves a low profile and stability in setting. Color intensity is classified as intense, offering saturated blue tones with depth rather than a washed appearance, and the surface exhibits an excellent polish that yields crisp color transmission and a smooth tactile finish. The cutting and finishing emphasize the natural opal layer, and the tablet profile reduces stress concentration points, which is advantageous for a material with a Mohs hardness in the 5.5 to 6.5 range. This example is an assembled doublet enhancement, where a thin slice of natural boulder opal is secured to a solid backing to deepen the visual saturation and provide mechanical support, a standard and reversible treatment that is fully disclosed in our documentation.

Provenance is Australian, and The Natural Gemstone Company is committed to traceable sourcing and transparent trade practices for this boulder opal. Our supply chain documentation confirms legal extraction from working operations that adhere to local regulations, and our on site partners employ hand sorting and low impact extraction methods to limit environmental disturbance, preserve surrounding land, and support local communities through fair labor agreements. For the conscious collector, the doublet construction is an ethical compromise that maximizes the visual yield from thin opal seams while avoiding excessive cutting of primary matrix, and it reduces waste by utilizing slender natural opal layers that would otherwise be discarded. Practical considerations for care and jewelry design include recommended bezel or protective halo settings to shield the exposed seam, avoidance of steam cleaning and chemical solvents, and routine cleaning with mild soap and a soft cloth. This boulder opal doublet is an ideal centerpiece for a pendant or a protective ring setting, combining technical refinement in cut and polish with a documented, responsible origin that aligns with the values of environmentally and socially conscious buyers.