Raw Opal Crystal - Play-of-Color

Fine flashes of green and pale blue scatter across a pale, milky ground, while a broader patch of orange to reddish pink gathers on one side. This opal has a translucent quality, with areas of surface gloss and an irregular outline edged with small rises and recesses.

To Joun, this is a quintessential opal: sparkling and beautiful. Slight traces of host rock remain, lending it the natural character he appreciates alongside the shifting color. The specimen comes from Delanta Woreda, North Wollo Zone, in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region.

Opal is a hydrated form of silica, classified as a mineraloid rather than a crystalline mineral. Its play-of-color arises from the interaction of light with its internal silica structure. Here, the contrast between fine green flashes and the broader warm-colored area offers a particular reason to look closely.

Under lighting that gives off little heat, change the viewing angle gradually to follow the distribution of color. A loupe can help reveal the difference between the scattered points of light and the wider orange-red patch. Handle gently; Joun recommends keeping this piece in a box or drawer between viewings rather than leaving it exposed. Avoid heat and contact with surfaces that could scratch it.