GRADING REPORT OPOV396
- Identification: Natural Unheated & Untreated Crystal Opal
- Carat: 3.96
- Shape: Round(-ish) Flat One-sided Cabochon
- Measures: 16.40x14.60x2.97 (millimeter)
- Body Color: Very Light Orange / Colorless
- Play of Color: Excellent
- Pattern: Broad Flame, Mosaic, Stripes
- Clarity: Transparent - Free of Inclusions
- Cutting Grade: Very Good
- Finish: Very Good
- Depth: 20%
- Origin: Ethiopia, Welo
Treatment: None
Certificate No: DSEF OP 080040
Overall Grade: Excellent
Comment: In the shape and size of a coin, comes this crystal opal with an almost colorless body, except a faint orange texture (see 'more images'). Due to its thin body, this piece is highly sensitive to its background: The darker, the more play-of-color it exhibits. Skin-hue, as in the handshot, produces a translucent landscape of rain-bow colors. In the main images, with grey, black, or an empty(!) backgrounds the view reminds me of earth seen from space, plus weather maps, without the correct geography of course; the mainly blue impression, with some green and yellow, red and orange details. A view through the long thin side is white on first impression, but equally colored upon closer inspections. The most interesting question for this opal's setting would be, how and what to choose as background: Dark would be the obvious choice for maximum colors, but an open-back, a see-through design, would IMHO provide the longest ROI. The owner could wear it on various colored textiles, white, green, blue, and then skin itself of course, or allow it to swing freely. An eternal row of possibilities from one gem: priceless, at least in theory, and truly precious.
