One of the rarest and most fascinating types of opal comes in the shape of a palm-sized cluster of radiating points that resembles a pineapple. These "Opal Pineapples" are found only in the Cretaceous sediments of the White Cliffs in Australia.
Collection: Opal Pineapple
Opal Pineapples are one of the rarest gem/mineral specimens on Earth. Red Earth Opal is the primary source, having unearthed all of the worlds finest examples of these gem/minerals. We do not advertise all of our Opal Pineapples online and prices can range from $1,000 to $500,000.
Opal Pineapples (Ikaite-Calcite-Opal) are one of the rarest mineral specimens on earth, with only a small number being unearthed whole and intact. Opal Pineapples formed around 120 millions years ago under frozen conditions.
Opal pineapples are Pseudomorphs, which occur when one mineral replaces another making a cast of the original mineral. Opal has replaced the original mineral Ikaite, which only crystallises in near freezing conditions. This suggests that these pineapples had their beginnings in an ice age.
This unusual pineapple-shaped object is thought to be a replacement (or pseudomorph) of one mineral by another before becoming an opal. Once thought to be a replacement of glauberite (sodium sulphate), it is now thought to be a replacement of crystals of the water-bearing calcium carbonate, ikaite.
Since the opal is rough and it is dusty and dry you cannot see any color of the opal. So miners would stand in a group and each would lick their opal to expose the colour. Licking the Opal would reveal the true color of the opal and would respresent what the Opal would look like once it is cut and polished.
That honor goes to the Flame Queen opal, the most expensive opal in the world that sold for the modern-day equivalent of over $3 million. The Flame Queen opal has a couple of other names — it's also called the “Fire Queen” opal and “Dunstan's Stone.”
White Cliffs is famous for our opalised pineapples, there have only ever been between 300-500 found and the only place you can find them in the world is White Cliffs. Pineapples started life as Ikaite crystal clusters which form when the temperature is below 4 degrees celcius.
White Cliffs is known for seam opal which is usually white (milk) opal or crystal opal.
Harlequin Opal is a variety of Precious Opal in which the play of color is arranged in a vivid harlequin, diamond-shaped, or rectangular-shaped pattern. This is an extremely rare pattern.
Of all the opal types, Australian black opal is the rarest and the most coveted among precious stone collectors. But even with all the knowledge we have of opal formation and play-of-colour, there's still much to learn and rediscover about this remarkably iridescent gem.
Black opal is the most rare and highly valued form of opal, and has what is called a black (or dark) body tone. Black opals come in every colour of the rainbow. Their dark body tone makes the colours on the face of the opal appear rich and intense.
By far the most prized and rare pattern is the true Harlequin opal. This pattern is extremely rare and we use the terminology of true pattern, as some opals might just have one or two shapes like harlequin pattern but only in a small area.
Pink opals are made from copper, water, silica, and iron to create a striking hue of pink. The more that iron and silica are present in an opal's composition, the higher the value. The finest quality of natural pink opals have the potential to be up to $100 per carat.
Chocolate opals are generally considered rare. They can be difficult to find, especially in larger sizes or with a higher quality of play-of-color. Most chocolate opals come from Australia's Lightning Ridge region, and most pieces found here are small fragments or chips.
Formed in the depths of ancient volcanoes, fire opal is created when water seeps into silica-rich lava, filling its seams and hollows. Under this incredible heat and pressure, the lava traps water within itself, forming these magical, sun-bright droplets.
The contrast of play-of-color to bodycolor makes black opals very popular. Additionally, black opals are considered to be the rarest (white opals are more common). An opal with a translucent to opaque white and other light color backgrounds (bodycolor) with play-of-color is called white opal.
Unbeknown to him, the reflections were pockets of the first-discovered Australian fire opal. And they had been found in a settlement (Laverton) with a chequered career as a gold and nickel mining town.
Precious opal shows a play of spectral colours though the stone whereas common opal does not. Common opal is usually opaque to translucent and brownish orange in colour, however it can come in any colour, some of which are quite attractive.
The “Olympic Australis” is reported to be the largest and most valuable gem opal ever found. It was found in 1956 at the famous “Eight Mile” opal field in Coober Pedy, South Australia. A miner working his claim found the opal at a depth of 30 feet.
Today, Coober Pedy (SA) is the main producer of white opal, though in recent years this field has expanded and all types of opals are found. Other centres in SA include Andamooka and Mintabe. Lightning Ridge (NSW) is renowned for black opal and formerly White Cliffs was a large producer of high quality opal.
Called the Virgin Rainbow, it was discovered in the opal fields of Coober Pedy by opal miner John Dunstan in 2003. It's actually an opalised fossil, from an extinct cephalopod called belemnitida that existed during the Mesozoic era.
One of the most captivating qualities of hyalite opal is its fluorescent green glow in shortwave ultraviolet light. All minerals can reflect a degree of light, but some have the physical qualities that allow them to temporarily absorb a small amount of light and releases it in a different wavelength.
On the whole, opals are rarer than diamonds because there are less high-quality opals available than there are diamonds. The good news is that you can find a gem-quality opal for a great price, especially compared to a diamond.
Australian opals are incredibly expensive, especially in comparison to opals sourced in other regions of the world. The reason is that Australian opals have a superior quality that is hard to come by in other regions around the globe.