Dark Opal and the Opal Body Tone Scale
Dark opal explained: how it differs from black opal on the N1 to N9 body tone scale, and what that means for value, setting, and wear.
black opal
Black opal: dark body tone with vivid play-of-color, the most prized opal (Lightning Ridge).
Lightning Ridge: Australia’s Black Opal Country
A jeweler’s guide to Lightning Ridge opal: where the town is, why its claystone ground makes black opal, and how the mining fields work.
Black Opal: Why Lightning Ridge’s Finest Is the Most Prized
Why black opal is the most prized opal: what ‘black’ really means, where it comes from, and how to judge body tone, brightness, pattern and color.