What Is The Rarest Opal Color?

It may surprise you to know that there is an opal that forms almost exclusively in an Australian city called Lightning Ridge. This environment provides the unique chemical makeup needed to create the world's rarest opal, the black opal. 

What Is A Black Opal?

Silicon Dioxide and water are the two most important components in opal formation. Water picks up silica from sandstone and lands in cracks within the Earth. After the water leaves through the evaporation process, we are left with opals after a few million years. Black opal is unique because of its contents of carbon and iron oxide, giving it a darker appearance. However, black opal is not always black. They have a color variation that ranges from dark gray to jet black, making the famous rainbow patterns more noticeable in these stones. 

What Makes Black Opal So Valuable?

Rarity

Black opals are considered extremely rare amongst most gemstones, and thus, are highly sought after by gem enthusiasts. While there are many collections of specific gemstones in the world, there are no large collections of black opal because of its rarity. That means when you purchase even one piece of black opal, you have more of an investment than most other gemstone enthusiasts. 

Color

The black background of black opals gives these stones a more notable color contrast. There is huge desirability in the rainbow color variations in these stones set to the dark backgrounds, making these a starter investment. 

Price Inflation

Due to the extreme rarity of these gemstones, they are a fool-proof investment opportunity. Every year they are mined, there are far fewer black opals available on the market. On average, these gemstones go up in value by twenty percent. This means your investment profile is guaranteed to grow in profit. 

Conclusion

Are you in the market for custom jewelry pieces, repairs, and more? Scott & Co. Fine Jewelers can help. Contact us now.