GRADING REPORT OLRD100
- Identification: Natural Unheated & Untreated Semi-Black Opal
- Carat: 1.00
- Shape: Free-Form Oval One-sided Cabochon
- Measures: 9.67x6.07x2.53 (millimeter)
- Body Color: Black Chocolate
- Play of Color: Very Good
- Pattern: Flame, Squares
- Clarity: Translucent - Free of Inclusions
- Cutting Grade: Very Good
- Finish: Very Good
- Depth: 42%
- Origin: Lightning Ridge, Australia
Treatment: None
Certificate No: IGI 345841083
Overall Grade: Very Good+ ('+' for the super blue)
Comment: While its play-of-color also shows green, purple, light-blue and red, the intense blue of this opal will stun even the hardest-boiled blue sapphire veteran. Seriously, such blue cannot be found in other gemstones. None of our photos comes close to the real-life experience. In all fairness, opals do not need to show luster or worry about shape, but this blue, though dark toned and not always visible throughout the full gem, beats anything seen in kyanite, sapphire, indicolite or you-name-it. Famous pedigree from Australia. Only one carat but almost 10x6mm to show face-up. Opal can be flat without a window and then extra-large with its low relative gravity (see side-image). That said, this one carat can fill a good-sized lady-ring or be made into a pendant. Though the blue is a cliffhanger (one can't stop watching) it is not an overly flashy gem but a dark character. It catches the eye with a magic spark, and then demands a second, third, fourth, fifth look... until you politely ask for your personal space to be restored, or, depending on who is looking, must remove the gem and hand it over for further inspection. Compliments are guaranteed. Always better than images.
