Description
Origin: Juniper Ridge, Oregon, USA
Description: This is old stock Juniper Ridge Fire Opal, from when the mine first opened. It has been cured for four years. meaning it has been let sit to dry and crack as it will over that time.
For those of you that don't know this, when processing gem opal, it must be cured and let dry before cutting- usually a minimum of 6 months. There are manganese dendrites in some pieces. the odd ones have sand inclusions near the perimeter. This opal is definitely facet grade. I have had my cutters in India cut 100's of carats of this.
The colors range and are generally darker than Mexican. However, with enough cutting, and in large batches, the colors are identical by the time you're done with all the same ranges.
Juniper ridge opal is heavier than Mexican.
Chakra: Sacral
Chemical Composition: SiO₂ · nH₂O
Grade: Precious
Appearance: Translucent
Inclusions:
Cracks: Minimal
Mineral: Manganese Dendrites, Some Rind
Cost per Gram: $17.5
Size approximately 1 pc: 20mm x 30mm x 30mm
Weight approximately 1 pc: 15g
Rough is rough. We do our best to grade and describe pieces in the lot, but ultimately, they all differ.