Opal Rough - Height: 41 mm - Width: 22 mm- 13.5 g - (1)

☆ Rough, raw opal

☆ Multi-color / multi-flash

☆ weight: 13.5 g / 67.5 carats

☆ Dimensions: 41x22x15 mm

☆ NATURAL, NO TREATMENT

☆ origin: Mine Region Welo / Ethiopia

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WelO opal is found in silica veins just 2-3 meters below the surface. What makes mining it so difficult are the methods used. Only the inhabitants of this region are permitted to mine these deposits. Since the populations are rural, they use archaic and sometimes dangerous methods to extract the stones. Since January 2011, a new mining site has opened with stricter standards and bringing together 500 professional miners. The Ethiopian government regulates and monitors this wealth by not allowing buyers to go to the mining sites to deal directly with the miners. The opal market lies outside the mining region.