Anyone, I have a ring with a low-dome single Lightning Ridge 3 carat
black opal. I am seeing an interesting optical phenomenon that may
be of interest. Maybe it’s a common variety, I don’t know.
The stone is not a harlequin, but is divided up into irregularly
shaped sections with angular fire much like harlequin. The fire is
very intense with predominant blue and green but with some yellow.
In one rectangular section of the stone, the fire is very well
defined. It looks almost like a smooth metal plate under glass.
Because of the smoothness and intensity of this rectangular section
you can see reflected images out of the fire! The images have a
strange green sheen. I saw my ceiling fan rotating in the green
fire. The images are not coming out of the polished opal surface
because the image in the green fire comes out of focus when you look
at the stone surface.
At any rate, just wanted to see if anyone has seen this before.
Blaine