A client of mine brought in a large opal that she is interested in
selling. It is a very unusual piece of Andamooka opal, approximately
34mmX34mmX11.5mm thick, roughly square and weighing 84.5cts. It has
an intense harlequin fire with a lot of reds, orange, and green in a
transparent, smokey body. The most unusual feature, however, is a
white inclusion, shaped like a mummy, deep within the stone and 34mm
in length. The woman said that her grandfather, an Australian,
purchased it in the 20’s. I’ve shown the piece to a few dealers that
I work with and all agree that it is an amazing piece of opal. No one
could place a value on it, but all agreed that it would certainly
appeal to a connoisseur of opal. I would like to help my client find a
buyer for this stone, but I’m not sure where to go with this. If you
have the clientele who would appreciate such a gem, or if you are a
collector, please contact me. Perhaps this stone should be going to
Tucson.
Doug Zaruba