3.30 Ct. Crystal/Jelly Opal from Australia

This listing describes one translucent 3.30 carat marquise shape multi color opal, with exact dimensions of 17.62 x 8.83 x 3.65 mm, cut as a tablet, with a clarity grade of very slightly included, evaluated at eye level, intense color intensity, and an excellent polish. The material is identified as a Crystal Jelly Opal from Australia, with no enhancement, and the specimen is offered by The Natural Gemstone Company. The combination of marquise outline and tablet profile produces a distinctive optical presentation, where the elongated axis favors linear flashes and the reduced crown height allows deeper penetration of incident light into the transparent body. Weight to size ratio is consistent with transparent to semi transparent opals of Australian origin, and the 3.30 carat mass sits comfortably within expected density values for natural hydrated silica, reinforcing the absence of assembled layers or synthetic fabrication.

The tablet cut applied to this marquise opal is a deliberate lapidary choice that prioritizes planar table integrity and peripheral symmetry rather than multi facet dispersion. Unlike a traditional cabochon, which emphasizes domed curvature and broad, diffuse play of color, the tablet cut presents a low profile with a flattened table and a subtle pavilion curve that controls internal reflection paths. The cutter has aligned the table parallel to the dominant platelets within the opal, allowing interference colors to read with high saturation at normal viewing angles. Facet junctions are minimized to prevent light leakage, and the excellent polish indicates high quality abrasive progression and final lap polishing, which preserves crisp color contrasts and reduces light scattering from the surface. Proportions, expressed as length to width to depth, suggest a conservative depth percentage that maximizes face up color without creating excessive weight loss during cutting, and the marquise points have been symmetrically finished to reduce vulnerability to chipping.

Optical and clarity characteristics are consistent with a premium Crystal Jelly Opal, which combines a transparent to translucent body with internal play of color derived from orderly silica spheres. The very slightly included clarity grade, evaluated at eye level, denotes minute interruptions to the internal matrix, such as fine potch streaks or minute silica discontinuities, which do not materially interrupt the play of color but do provide natural fingerprinting for identification. The multi color presentation is broad spectrum, with dominant blues and greens and secondary flashes of warmer tones, and the intense color intensity descriptor reflects saturated, vivid flashes rather than pale or washed color. Because this is a no enhancement gem, there are no dyes, resins, or impregnation treatments to alter optical properties, and the internal hydration state is natural. The transparent body permits internal reflection and refraction that generate dynamic color play when the stone is tilted, and the marquise outline creates a directional emphasis that can be exploited by the setter to orient the stone for maximum visual impact.

For practical use in jewelry, the tablet marquise format requires considered setting choices to balance display and protection. The relatively shallow depth and pointed terminations recommend a protective bezel or a low profile prong setting with reinforced points, to avoid edge chipping and to stabilize the stone in impact scenarios. For rings intended for daily wear, a bezel with a polished inner lip will preserve the tablet table and maintain continuous optical flow, while for pendants and earrings an open back or gallery window will enhance translucency and allow light to traverse the stone. Mounting orientation along the longitudinal axis will emphasize the elongated flash pattern, and slight rotation can reveal additional color zones inherent to the Crystal Jelly structure. Measurements are exact to the hundredth of a millimeter and the weight is provided to the hundredth of a carat to assist precise design and appraisal work. The Natural Gemstone Company provides provenance documentation for Australian origin, and our lapidary quality control verifies polish, symmetry, and the absence of enhancement, enabling confident selection by designers and collectors who value technical transparency and artisanal execution.