Precious Opals For Sale: Ethiopian Opals And Natural Opal Gemstones (Ethiopian Shewa Opal/ Chocolate Opal)
This gorgeous Ethiopian Opal Gemstone weighing 25.72 grams and measuring 3.5cm long is a unique Chocolate Brown Opal from Ethiopia, and a stunning iridescent precious opal gem which flashes with a rainbow of opalescent colour.
This rare opal type is known as an Ethiopian Shewa Opal, Chocolate Opal, or Mezezo Opal Stone, amongst other names.
A Shewa Opal or Natural Raw Chocolate Opal displays a gem opal as a nodule in volcanic rock (usually rhyolite), and this gem-quality opal nodule is a striking precious opal that showcases vibrantly colourful opalescence as a spectacular iridescent gemstone.
The Chocolate Opal body colour is a lovely rich chocolate brown hue, whilst the opalescent play of colour dances and flashes mesmerisingly in an array of fiery hues; usually in shades of red, green, yellow, and orange that creates an iridescent effect akin to the fiery flash of Fire Opals, Ammolite, and Fire Ammonites (also known as Red Iridescent Ammonites).
This stunning Shewa Opal comes complete in a white plastic gemstone display case which is lined with a black velvet-type fabric base upon which the opal is displayed.
The opal display case measures 6.5cm long, 6cm wide, and 5cm deep, and contains an LED light to illuminate the opalescent colours and flash of the opal gemstone.
Both our Shewa Opals and Crystal Opals are stable opals which do not need to be kept in water.
Our precious opals, including Shewa Chocolate Brown Opals, are dry opals and not hydrophane opals.
What Is Opal?
An opal is a gemstone similar to moonstone, and precious opals are popular precious stones used as gems.
Precious opals are gem opals defined by their opalescence, a unique iridescent shimmer and play of colour across the opal gemstone.
What Is Opal Made Of?
An opal is primarily composed of silica/silicon dioxide and water, and therefore an opal stone is a hydrated silica with an amorphous crystal structure.
Usually, an opal stone's structure is 6-10% water.
All opals are silicates: other silicates include Quartz minerals and Feldspar minerals such as Labradorite.
Is Opal A Mineral?
Technically, opal is not a true mineral as it does not form a stable crystal structure shape: instead, opal is considered to be a mineraloid.
Types Of Opals
There are many different types of opals, which vary significantly in colour, opalescent properties, value, and location in which they are found, amongst other differentiating factors.
What Is The Difference Between Precious Opals And Common Opals?
Precious opals like Shewa Opal/ Chocolate Brown Opal display opalescence and play of colour in iridescent flash, whilst common opals like Green Opal and Pink Opal do not display opalescence/ play of colour.
Precious opals tend to range in opacity from translucent to semi-translucent and transparent, whilst common opals tend to be opaque and display blocks of deep, rich colour.
Precious opals are precious stones and valuable gemstones.
What Is Ethiopian Opal?
Ethiopian Opal is a type of precious opal only found in Ethiopia, in contrast to Australian Opal, which is only found in Australia.
Ethiopian Opal comes in many varieties, including Ethiopian Shewa Opal (also known as Ethiopian Chocolate Opal) as in this piece, and Ethiopian Crystal Opal (also known as Welo Opal Gem).
What Is Chocolate Opal?
Chocolate Opal, also known as Chocolate Brown Opal, or more simply, Brown Opal, is a unique type of Ethiopian Opal that displays a chocolate-brown coloured opal body colour/ base colour as well as opalescent play of colour, which tends to flash in reds, greens, oranges, and yellows similarly to fire opals.
Where Is Opal Found?
Opals can be found around the world, but most precious opals come from Australia and Ethiopia, meaning that Australian Opals and Ethiopian Opals are the most famous opal stones in the world.
Where Is Shewa Opal Found? What Is Shewa Opal?
This Shewa Opal, also known as a Chocolate Opal, is an Ethiopian Opal that is found in North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia; the location which Shewa Opal is named after.
More specifically, Shewa Opal and Chocolate Opal can be found within the Menz Gische District of North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia, hence why Shewa Opal is sometimes referred to as Menz Gische Opal.
The opal mine where Chocolate Opal and Shewa Opal Gems are found is known as the Mezezo Opal Occurrence, which is why Shewa Opal is sometimes called Mezezo Opal Stone.
Ethiopia is one of the leading sources globally for high-grade opal gemstones.
What Birthstone Is Opal?
The month for opal birthstone is October, and therefore the October Birthstone is Opal.
An opal birthstone is a great gift for a loved one born in October.
Opals For Sale At Madagascan Direct
Shop a range of opals for sale online, including precious opal gemstones for sale such as Ethiopian Opals like Shewa Opal/ Chocolate Brown Opal and Crystal Opal/ Welo Opal, as well as common opals for sale such as Green Opal and Pink Opal.
Shop Opals For Sale Online at Madagascan Direct.
Product Reference Number: 19655
