Oceania, Australia, Cretaceous Period, ca. 110 million years ago. A stunning milky opal encased in a stone matrix! The matrix is professionally prepared; cut and polished to enhance the natural color play of the opal. The colors are a wonderful blue and lilac iridescence that glimmer from the cavities of the surrounding stone. The matrix is sliced to create a flat surface that could be laid flat on a table or propped up to display. Opal is a silica and water compound that settles into niches and crevices of stone or organic matter where it solidifies. The hues in this opal are remarkable, and many cultures considered opals to be the most magical of precious gems because of the array of colors it contained. Size: 4.25" L x 3.5" W (10.8 cm x 8.9 cm)
Provenance: ex-Anchorage, Alaska, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#166732
Condition
Professionally prepared and polished. Stable hairline fissures on stone verso. Minor chips to face. Opal surface is coated in clear protective fixative. Felt pads added for stability.