2.95 Ct. Cabochon Semi-Black Opal from Australia

Long before this pear shaped gem found its way to the bench of our cutter, it lived a patient life beneath the ochres and reds of the Australian outback, where silica rich solutions settled into tiny voids and layered themselves into microscopic spheres, a slow architecture that would one day cast light like liquid fire. In those ancient beds this Semi Black Opal began as whispers of color trapped within a muted body, a secret waiting for daylight. Miners trained at the salt flats and basalt hills have long learned to read the geology, to coax these hidden jewels from seams of ironstone and sandstone, and this 2.95 carat stone was selected for its rare combination of depth and subtlety. Opaque when first unearthed, the rough showed the promise of multi color play, and our team at The Natural Gemstone Company recognized the way its tones shifted with every turn. The journey from raw to refined preserved that original mystery, honoring the desert patience and the hands that first pulled it free from the earth.

At the lapidary bench the stone was shaped into a graceful pear, its cabochon cut chosen to celebrate the opal effect rather than facet luster, with dimensions of 15.00 by 9.70 by 3.60 mm that make it ideal as a pendant or as a focal ring stone. The medium intense color intensity lends the surface an inviting glow, and the excellent polish captures light across the dome so that colors glide and reorganize as you move. There are sweeping greens that recall coastal forests, flashes of deep ocean blues, and softer, almost ethereal plays of turquoise and aqua that breathe life into the grayish matrix. No enhancement was applied to alter this gem, the color is natural, and the Semi Black body tone gives a refined darkness that makes the hues appear to float above it, rather than being lost within. The cabochon surface smoothes the eye along the pear outline, encouraging the wearer to tilt the stone and discover subtle banding, cloudlike inclusions, and a choreography of color that is never repeated twice in the same light.

How this opal shines is part of its ongoing story, the next act that plays out as you wear it. In broad daylight and under bright, cool daylight conditions the green and blue flashes become vivid and expansive, the play of color sweeping from tip to base with a glassy clarity, and the Semi Black body tone gives the color contrast a striking richness. Under warm incandescent light the gem softens, the greens mellow into verdant hues and the blues take on a warmer, more oceanic depth, making the stone feel intimate and inviting. Under modern LED lighting with high color rendering the multi color aspects appear crisp, and the cabochon dome reflects pinpoint highlights that act like tiny stars on the surface, emphasizing the polish and shaping. In low light or candlelight the opal moves into mystery, color peeking like lanterns beneath a gentle fog, greens catching the eye first and blues surfacing with movement, creating an effect that feels personal and secretive. When set in a pendant the pear shape drops with gravity and presents a changing face to the world, and when cradled in a bezel or prong ring the dome plays with the light around the finger, offering a continuous dialogue between stone and gaze.

This Semi Black Opal, weighing 2.95 carat, carries a story that spans continents and centuries, from Australian fields to the hands that shaped and polished it, and finally to you. It is a gem that invites exploration, that rewards slow, deliberate observation, and that adapts to the mood of its lighting with a natural theatricality. We at The Natural Gemstone Company select and prepare each piece to preserve its origin and to reveal the best of its inner light, ensuring that no enhancement obscures its true character. Whether you are seeking a quiet heirloom, a signature piece for daily wear, or a thoughtful gift that speaks of earth and time, this opal offers a living color story that will continue to unfold as it travels with you.