A Brazilian twist on a legendarily popular gem, Amazon Opal displays a wonderful, zingy ‘au naturel’ cocktail of golden limes, a hue regarded by many as the gemological embodiment of ‘pure’, rich grass greens (an 80 percent visually pure green). Amazon Opal hails from Brazil, and is yet another captivating new gem from one of the world’s premiere gemstone countries. With its quality favorably compared to Australia, arguably the world’s finest source, Brazil is increasingly garnering international acclaim for its Opals.
Hardness 6 - 6.5
Refractive Index 1.370 - 1.470
Relative Density 1.97 - 2.22
Enhancement None
Beauty
Aptly named for its color and a regional icon, Amazon Opal doesn’t have the dancing colors you usually associate with Opals. Instead, Amazon Opal’s radiant beauty comes from its unique, glowing, luminescent hues.
Amazon Opal’s beautiful, vivid chartreuses (a color between yellow and green), combined with a stunning translucency, and breathtaking brilliance, define this amazing new Opal variety.
Optimal lapidary accentuates the innate beauty of Amazon Opal and every gem is finished eye-clean, the highest quality clarity grade for colored gemstones, with an attractive shape and overall appearance.
One of October’s birthstones, Opal is from the Greek ‘opallios’, meaning ‘to see a change’. The structure of Opals is unique and comprised of microscopic spheres of silicon dioxide forming a pyramid shaped grid, interspersed with three to six percent water. It’s the refraction of light through these spheres and the gaps between them that produces Opal’s characteristic ‘play of color’ (flashes of colorful brilliance that change with the angle of observation). Opal without play of color has its silicon dioxide spheres more randomly arranged.
Rarity
Facet-grade Opal (without ‘play of color’) is mainly mined in Mexico, but it also comes from Brazil, Ethiopia, Mali, Tanzania, and occasionally Australia.
While Opal has been mined in the Brazilian states of Pará, Piaui, Rio Grande do Sula, and Rondônia since the mid-40s, production has always been very limited, making it difficult to secure. Amazon Opal was discovered in March, 2020, from a secret Brazilian location, yet to be disclosed.
Amazon Opal is also one of the few gemstones that are entirely natural and unenhanced.
Durability & Care
A relatively durable jewelry gemstone, Amazon Opal (Mohs’ Hardness: 6 – 6.5) should always be stored carefully to avoid scuffs and scratches. Clean with gentle soap and lukewarm water, scrubbing behind the gem with a very soft toothbrush as necessary. After cleaning, pat dry with a soft towel or chamois cloth.
Map Location
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