Opal - Gallery - Library Deutsche Gemmologische Gesellschaft e.V.

different types and varieties of opal

All (16)
Australia (6)
Ethiopia (2)
Mexico (2)
other occurrences (3)
synthetics and imitations (3)

Opal in sandstone, Australia (Photo: S. Koch, DSEF).

Precious opal from Australia (53.06 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Precious opal from Ethiopia (18.07 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Precious opal from Ethiopia with typical honey-comb structure (6.20 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Boulderopal from Australia (Photo: B. Huaysan, DGemG/DSEF).

Boulderopal from Australia (12.16 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Opal matrix from Australia, untreated (Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Opal matrix after dyeing (Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Fire opal from Mexico with typical dehydration fissures (5.03 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Fire opal from Mexico with play of colour in its host rock (14.32 ct, Foto: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Blue Andes opal from Peru (8.05 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Pink opal from Peru (Andes) (20.46 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Cacholong (width: 6 cm, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Opal triplet (9.82 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Mosaic-opal triplet (7.64 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Synthetic opal, Gilson (3.49 ct, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

natural opal

All (3)

Irregular, partially tilted colour fields; Opal, Ethiopia (x12.5, reflected light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Irregular, partially tilted colour patches as well as typical honey-comb structure; Opal, Ethiopia (x10, reflected light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Typical honey-comb structure; Opal, Ethiopia (x12.5, transmitted light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

treated opal

All (2)

Patchy colour distribution as well as colour concentrations in fissures; dyed opal ("smoked"), Ethiopia (x12.5, reflected light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Colour concentration in fissures; dyed opal ("smoked"), Ethiopia (x12,5, transmitted light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

synthetic opal and imitations

All (6)
Synthetics (5)
Imitations (1)

Strongly delimited colour fields ("puzzled"); synthetic opal (x10, reflective light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Strongly delimited colour fields ("puzzled") as well as "lizard-skin effect"; synthetic opal (x32, reflective light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

"Lizard-skin effect"; synthetic opal (x40, reflective light, photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Columnar structure when viewed from the side; synthetic opal (x10, reflective light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Columnar structure when viewed from the side; synthetic opal (x10, reflective light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

Metallic foils as well as elongated gas bubbles in an opal-imitation of glass (x20, transmitted light, Photo: T. Stephan, DGemG).

different types and varieties of opal

natural opal

treated opal

synthetic opal and imitations

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