17.55 Ct. Boulder Opal from Australia

This listing describes one opaque Boulder Opal in a freeform tablet cut, weighing 17.55 carat, with precise dimensions of 19.10 x 15.10 x 7.60 mm. The tablet cut employed here is a low dome slab style, designed to present a wide plane of polished opal surface while preserving the natural ironstone matrix at the base. The profile is intentionally flattened relative to traditional cabochons to maximize the apparent color area, and to facilitate secure bezel settings. The piece exhibits an intense color intensity, dominated by saturated blue tones with occasional peripheral green flashes, and an overall bodytone that reads dark due to the ironstone backing. The polish is excellent, with a high gloss finish that delivers crisp specular highlights across the tablet face, confirming careful lap work and final high grit polishing steps. The opal is an assembled doublet, a technical enhancement produced by joining a thin slice of gem quality opal to a dark ironstone backing, a construction that enhances color saturation while stabilizing thin opal layers for wearable use.

From a lapidary and gemological perspective, this Boulder Opal doublet demonstrates several notable attributes that appeal to technically discerning buyers. The opal layer has been oriented and contoured to yield optimal play of color, with the lamination interface positioned to maximize refractive contrast between the silica platelets and the ironstone backing. The tablet cut choice reduces curvature induced light scattering, producing a more directional and saturated color display when viewed face on. Inclusions and matrix are intentionally retained and integrated into the overall aesthetic, the ironstone seam visible along the base acting as a natural contrast layer that anchors the opal color. The doublet construction is executed with precision adhesives and a uniform bond line, minimizing optical distortion and preserving transmission characteristics. The surface shows minimal micro abrasions and no evident recutting marks, indicating that the final polishing sequence included progressively finer abrasives and a high polish compound to achieve the observed luster.

Practical considerations for setting, wear, and long term care are important when specifying a doublet Boulder Opal. As a doublet, the piece offers improved color intensity and mechanical robustness compared to an extremely thin natural slice, however the adhesive interface and the opal layer itself remain sensitive to prolonged solvent exposure, extreme thermal shock, and aggressive ultrasonic cleaning. We recommend secure bezel style settings that protect the tablet edge and the bonded interface, and advise against repeated immersion in household chemical cleaners. For jewelry design, the freeform tablet profile is well suited to artisan settings that emphasize the stone plane, including modern bezel cuffs, pendants with protective bezels, and low profile rings with metal shoulders that shield the slab edge. The origin is Australia, the classic provenance for Boulder Opal, and the piece conforms to expected geological characteristics for that origin, including the dark ironstone matrix and the vivid blue dominated play of color. The Natural Gemstone Company certifies the described parameters, and we supply detailed imagery and measured specifications with each sale to support design decisions and quality assessments. If you require additional directional images, angle dependent color studies, or mounting recommendations for this 17.55 carat tablet cut Boulder Opal doublet, we can provide tailored guidance to ensure optimal optical presentation and durable integration into finished pieces.