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Opal

Fireworks. Jellyfish. Galaxies. Lightning. Opal's shifting play of kaleidoscopic colors is unlike any other gem.

Opal
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Research

Star Opal

An opal featuring a rare six-rayed star is examined in GIA's Bangkok lab.

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A Useful Technique to Confirm the Hydrophane Nature of Opal

Observing a water drop’s interaction with opal, as well as refractive index, can confirm a specimen’s hydrophane nature with less risk of breakage than total immersion.

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Winter 2012 Gem News International

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Fall 2012 Gem News International

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Dyed Purple Hydrophane Opal

Opals with an unusual purple bodycolor and strong play-of-color have recently appeared in the market.

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Play-of-Color Opal from Wegel Tena, Wollo Province, Ethiopia

A new opal deposit was discovered in 2008 near the village of Wegel Tena, in volcanic rocks of Ethiopia’s Wollo Province.

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Fall 2002 Gem News International

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Spring 2000 Gem News International

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Synthetic or Imitation? An Investigation of the Products of Kyocera Corporation That Show Play-Of-Color

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Opal from the Shewa Province, Ethiopia

Opal occurs as nodules in volcanic rocks at a new gem opal locality in the Menz Gishe district of Shewa Province, Ethiopia.

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Queensland Boulder Opal

After almost 75 years of inactivity, the deposits of boulder opal in Queensland, Australia, began to attract new interest in the 1960s and 1970s.

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"Opalite": Plastic Imitation Opal with True Play-Of-Color

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