Huge blue gree opal found in Nevada

[Sheldon J]

From and more photos at https://www.geologyin.com/2017/06/r..._fUUoXYaPo5ROg7g4l6VfE6Sw#s2qfo7OgBPJSy1kf.99
That rock is worth a heap of $$$$$

The Roebling Opal is an extraordinary 2,585-carat piece of opal rough and is also the largest unpolished black Opal.

It came out of the tunneled portion of the Rainbow Ridge Mine in 1917 from ​

Virgin Valley, Nevada

. The opal was deposited from silica-rich water in voids that remained after buried tree limbs had rotted away, in some cases resulting in opal casts of the original tree parts.

Although extremely beautiful, opal from this locality is not commonly used in jewelry because it tends to craize, or crack. Opals with a vivid play-of-color and a black or other dark body color are called black opals. The Roebling Opal is a black opal with flashes of blue and green play-of-color.

The Roebling Opal was donated by John A. Roebling in 1926 and now rests with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
​

 

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[Sheldon J]

and if you follow the story link you will find this story as well...dig your own unique opals in Nevada https://www.geologyin.com/2017/07/dig-your-own-unique-opals-from-nevada.html

at the bottom of the story there are links to locations to look....

 

[Kray Gelder]

Interesting post, Sheldon! Opals are so beautiful.

 

[BillA]

apparently found in many places, my grandfather had a ranch in Calaveras County that had "Opal Hill" with a chalk seam where we would dig out small opals with a pocket knife

 

[A2coins]

Wow that would be awesome

 

[LUE-Hawn]

apparently found in many places, my grandfather had a ranch in Calaveras County that had "Opal Hill" with a chalk seam where we would dig out small opals with a pocket knife

I remember Opal Hill. I went there with my Lapidary class in 1964.

Wow that was a long time ago. Thanks for the reminder.

Regards

LUE-Hawn

 

[Blak bart]

I vote banner for mr. Roebling....that thing is incredible. Maybe I saw it at the Smithsonian many years ago as a kid !