A thumbnail sized specimen of spherical “bead”-like Hyalite Opal with strong orange coloring caused by inclusions of iron oxide. The material has been nicknamed “Blood Vessel Opal” due to the thin lines created by the inclusions near the surface of the spheres. Though lustrous and gemmy, the piece does have a bit of damage on both sides, hence the reduced price.
At the beginning of 2016 a friend of ours started working a claim with a few of the locals in the state of San Luis Potosi for this fine quality Hyalite Opal. It's very exciting to see specimens of this calibre coming out of the ground, as most of the Opal from this area is not nearly as attractive or fine quality as the pieces in this lot. I apologize for not having a more specific locality, but our friend doesn't want to divulge the information yet as he is trying to keep it under wraps until he feels that he was able to collect everything.
Our friend dubbed some of the colored material “blood vessel” Opal due to the interesting red/orange “capillary”-esque lines that can be seen in many of the specimens. Essentially, the Opals themselves are colorless, but minute inclusions of what I’m assuming is iron oxide have created not only beautiful internal color, but the thin “blood vessel” patterns.
Like most Hyalite specimens, these new pieces from Mexico show a brilliant glowing green fluorescence under SW UV light.
Finally, for years this material was referred to as "Hyalite" Opal, but is now listed as a variety of Opal called Opal-AN. It is now defined specifically as an amorphous (often colorless) form of Opal that is found in spherical aggregates, which are often intergrown or stacked with a "bead"-like appearance. For reference, mindat.org states that: "The "A" in the name stands for amorphous; the subscript "N" is to imply its structure is network-like similar to silica glass; however, it still contains about 3-8% water".
Locality: San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Specimen Size: 3.1 x 2.1 x 1.1 cm (thumbnail)
Shipping from United States
Processing time
1-3 business days
Estimated shipping times
- North America : 2 - 5 business days
- Europe : 7 - 14 business days
- Australia, New Zealand and Oceania : 10 - 20 business days
- Asia Pacific : 7 - 14 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
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I gladly accept returns, exchanges, and cancellations
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 2 days of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
- Custom or personalized orders
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Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
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