On Fire With Fire Opal

Have you ever seen a stone that holds so much heat in its body color hue? These rocks are sizzling hot and look so cool, I had to share more with you.

We hit the very end of last year’s Fire Opal season at the Outlaw Rocks claim in Southern Oregon. The weather was already changing and the outdoor studio season was also coming to a close as well. In order to get to the glowing opal goodness in many pieces that we mined, a crust of host rock needs to be removed. It’s a dirty job, so outdoor studio is the best location for this chore, and as spring has arrived, we’re outside freeing the opals in the sunshine to find the amazing gems inside.

This little nugget is covered in the matrix where the opal was born; hydrothermal veins in volcanic rock. There’s no way to know just how good the opal is until we get it uncovered and can see if it’s got inclusions and cracks, or if it’s clear and vibrant.

This little stone turned out to be saturated in honey gold, clear color with very little fracturing inside. This will make an excellent gem to facet. During the ‘peeling’ process, I can also preform the rough opal to be ready for a selected gemstone shape. What faceted shape would you most like to see this gem finished in?

A piece of rough, like that color above, could end up very much like this faceted Fire Opal. These opals do not have ‘play of color’ but have an intense body color, and when clear, have the quality to become fantastic faceted gemstones. The material that has inclusions, like dendrites or color zones, make wonderful cabochons.

Either way, the gems created from the Fire Opal are intense and alluring, with powerful colors and unique inclusions. These pieces will definitely be finding their way into jewelry and a full length video on the Fire Opals will be hitting YouTube soon. Keep your eyes on the SHOP and feel free to CONTACT US if you have questions or want to discuss a custom piece made just for you.