澳大利亚 BOULDER Opal • 1.95 克拉 • 马赛克风格与绚丽色彩尽显 - 高度: 14 mm - 宽度: 11 mm- 0.39 g - (1)

DESCRIPTION:
Among all precious opal varieties, Australian Boulder Opal occupies the highest tier of collector admiration and market prestige. It is one of the rarest, most desirable and most visually spectacular opals in the world, valued for the extraordinary way precious opal forms in intimate association with its host rock. This specimen immediately justifies that reputation. Rather than displaying isolated flashes, it erupts with an astonishing full spectrum play of colour, revealing virtually every chromatic register the eye can perceive, from vivid red, molten orange and intense yellow to electric green, neon blue, violet and purple.

The internal colour performance is exceptionally rich and remarkably complete. Fiery red and orange flashes ignite with unusual strength in several zones, while bright yellow and green radiate across broad sections of the stone like luminous embers suspended inside translucent silica. Cooler tones, including saturated blue, cobalt, violet and purple, appear throughout the composition rather than only at the margins, giving the specimen a chromatic completeness that is rarely encountered in a single opal. The result is not a simple play of colour, but a true spectral explosion distributed across the entire visible structure.

Structurally, the piece presents as a thin freeform natural boulder opal specimen with irregular angular contours and a beautifully expressive surface. Precious opal zones are preserved together with natural remnants of ironstone matrix, reinforcing the geological authenticity of the stone and creating a powerful contrast between earthy host material and intensely luminous internal fire. Several areas reveal translucent to semi translucent opal body colour, allowing light to penetrate beneath the surface and activate deeper chromatic layers.

One of the most compelling aspects of this opal is the diversity of pattern and movement visible across different angles. Rather than relying on a single directional flash, the stone shows a mosaic like and shard like internal architecture, where colour cells, streaks and fractured luminous planes awaken simultaneously. As the viewing angle changes, different zones intensify in succession, producing a living visual effect in which red, green, blue and purple pulses seem to appear and disappear within the same compact specimen.

Originating from Australia, and most likely from the celebrated Queensland boulder opal fields, this piece embodies exactly what makes Boulder Opal so revered among serious collectors. Its full spectrum play of colour, presence of strong red fire, natural matrix association and highly dynamic internal structure place it firmly in the collector grade category, offering both gemological interest and immediate visual impact.

SPECIFICATIONS:
• Weight: 0.39 g
• Weight in carats: 1.95 ct
• Dimensions: 14 × 11 × 2 mm
• Origin: Queensland, Australia
• Mineral identification: Natural Precious Boulder Opal
• Variety: Boulder Opal
• Chemical composition: SiO₂ · nH₂O
• Structure: Amorphous hydrated silica with diffraction from ordered silica spheres
• Form: Thin freeform natural specimen
• Pattern: Mosaic / shard like / multi directional play of colour
• Colours present: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and purple
• Spectral range: Full visible spectrum
• Body tone: Light translucent to semi translucent opal with natural matrix association
• Transparency: Translucent to semi translucent
• Lustre: Vitreous
• Matrix: Natural ironstone matrix remnants present
• Treatment: None
• Condition: Natural specimen

NOTABLE POINTS:
• Boulder Opal, one of the world’s most prized opal varieties
Highly sought after by collectors for its rarity, prestige and the natural association between precious opal and ironstone matrix. This specimen reflects that elite status immediately through its visual intensity.
• Full spectrum play of colour
The stone displays virtually every major colour in the visible spectrum. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and purple are all clearly present.
• Strong red and orange fire
Intense fiery flashes of red and molten orange appear in several zones. These warmer colours are especially important in opal valuation and significantly enhance collector appeal.
• Exceptional chromatic diversity
Rather than being dominated by only one or two colours, the specimen shows a remarkably balanced and complex colour orchestra. This gives it unusual visual richness for its size.
• Bright electric green and blue activation
Green and blue tones appear with high luminosity and vivid saturation. These colours help create strong contrast against the warmer red and orange zones.
• Purple and violet secondary flashes
Cooler purple and violet tones are also visible throughout the opal. Their presence contributes to the impression of total spectral completeness.
• Natural matrix association
Remnants of ironstone matrix remain attached to the opal. This is an essential and desirable characteristic of genuine Boulder Opal, reinforcing natural origin and geological identity.
• Multi directional colour response
The play of colour activates across several viewing angles rather than only from one fixed orientation. This gives the specimen a lively and constantly shifting visual performance.
• Mosaic and fractured internal colour architecture
The chromatic structure appears in irregular shards, cells and luminous planes. This creates a highly dynamic, almost explosive internal texture.
• Translucent body with internal depth
Light penetrates into the opal body and activates deeper layers of colour. This produces a more dimensional effect than surface flash alone.
• Strong visual impact despite compact size
Although relatively small, the opal delivers intense and highly concentrated colour. Its brightness and spectral range make it appear visually larger than its actual dimensions suggest.
• Collector grade Australian material
Its combination of full spectrum fire, natural matrix, strong red presence and vivid multi angle colour play places it solidly within the collector category.

COLLECTOR’S INTEREST:
Australian Boulder Opal holds a special place at the summit of the opal world. Collectors value it not only for rarity and beauty, but also because it preserves the intimate geological relationship between precious opal and its ironstone host. This specimen is especially attractive because it unites that natural authenticity with an unusually complete chromatic range.

What makes this piece stand out most is the sheer abundance of colour. Many opals show only partial spectral activity, often favouring green and blue alone. Here, however, the stone presents a far broader and more exciting palette, including vivid red, orange, yellow, electric green, blue, violet and purple. That degree of colour completeness is a major point of distinction.

For collectors seeking a small but extremely expressive Australian opal, this is a highly memorable piece. It offers rarity, strong visual drama and the unmistakable identity of true Boulder Opal in a form that remains raw, natural and geologically honest.

LAPIDARY POTENTIAL:
The specimen already presents excellent visual performance in its current form, with exposed colour zones that activate strongly under direct light. Its thin freeform shape and natural surface provide immediate display appeal, while also preserving the character that collectors value in natural Boulder Opal.

Further cutting or refinement could theoretically be considered, but any intervention would inevitably reduce weight and could disturb the present balance between colour fields and matrix. For that reason, the piece is arguably best appreciated as it is now, where its natural structure, complete spectral fire and authentic boulder opal identity remain fully intact.

Se quiseres, eu posso também fazer já uma versão ainda mais “premium Catawiki style”, um pouco mais luxuosa e mais agressiva comercialmente, mantendo os dados todos iguais.

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Shipping and Handling:
All orders are shipped by Portuguese National Post.
• Dispatch time: within 1 to 3 business days after payment confirmation to Catawiki
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Photography and transparency:
All photographs are taken under controlled lighting conditions using a macro lens, carefully selected to present each specimen as accurately as possible.
No filters, colour enhancement, or artificial saturation are applied.
The lighting setup uses a calibrated 5500K light source, replicating neutral daylight to reveal natural tones, surface features, and internal characteristics. Under warmer or weaker indoor lighting, colours may appear slightly different, which is normal.
The purpose of this photographic process is documentation and representation, not visual enhancement. Images are intended to reflect the specimen faithfully as it appears under balanced natural light conditions.

Identification and ethics:
All specimens offered are natural and described to the best of our knowledge, based on direct sourcing, professional experience, and information provided by trusted suppliers working at the origin.
Every effort is made to ensure transparency and accuracy regarding identification, locality, and general characteristics, avoiding misleading statements about treatment, provenance, or nature.

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These charges are not included in the auction price or shipping cost and are determined by the buyer’s local authorities.

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We sincerely thank you for your trust. Our work focuses on careful selection, accurate representation, and respectful presentation of mineral specimens with character and interest.
Each piece is chosen for its individual qualities rather than speculative or financial considerations. We aim to provide a transparent, reliable, and consistent experience for collectors at all levels.

With gratitude,
GemPulse Minerals