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Flame Queen Opal
The Flame Queen Opal is perhaps the most famous of all opals. It is the best-known example of “eye-of-opal”, an eye-like effect created when opal in-fills a cavity. The Flame Queen's flat central raised dome flashes red or gold depending on the angle of view, and is surrounded by a band of deep blue-green, giving the stone an appearance somewhat like that of a fried egg. The Flame Queen weighs and is somewhat triangular in shape, measuring 7.0 x 6.3 x 1.2 centimeters (2.75 x 2.50 x .50 inches). The Flame Queen was discovered in 1914 by three partners: Jack Philips, Walter Bradley and “Irish” Joe Hegarty, at the Bald Hill Workings, Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia. Tunneling down at around revealed no trace of the tell-tale coloring in the clay that indicates the likely presence of opal. However, despite the poor ventilation and the constant danger of tunnel collapse, Bradley and Philips wanted to continue digging. At , Bradley's pick found a large, blac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opal
Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms of silica, which are considered minerals. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl, and basalt. The name ''opal'' is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word (), which means 'jewel', and later the Greek derivative (), which means 'to see a change in color'. There are two broad classes of opal: precious and common. Precious opal displays play-of-color ( iridescence); common opal does not. Play-of-color is defined as "a pseudo chromatic optical effect resulting in flashes of colored light from certain minerals, as they are turned in white light." The internal structure of precious opal causes it to di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
Lightning Ridge is a small outback town in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Part of Walgett Shire, Lightning Ridge is situated near the southern border of Queensland, about east of the Castlereagh Highway. The Lightning Ridge area is a centre of the mining of black opal and other opal gemstones. Indigenous inhabitants The traditional owners of the land around Lightning Ridge are the Yuwaalaraay people. Yuwaalayaay (also known as ''Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales.' After they were displaced by the establishment of colonial pastoral stations, ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, sixth-largest country. Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils. It is a Megadiverse countries, megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with Deserts of Australia, deserts in the centre, tropical Forests of Australia, rainforests in the north-east, and List of mountains in Australia, mountain ranges in the south-east. The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately Early human migrations#Nearby Oceania, 65,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Period, last i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lapidary
Lapidary (from the Latin ) is the practice of shaping stone, minerals, or gemstones into decorative items such as cabochons, engraved gems (including cameos), and faceted designs. A person who practices lapidary is known as a lapidarist. A lapidarist uses the lapidary techniques of cutting, grinding, and polishing. Hardstone carving requires specialized carving techniques. In modern contexts, a gemcutter is a person who specializes in cutting diamonds, but in older contexts the term refers to artists who produced hardstone carvings; engraved gems such as jade carvings, a branch of miniature sculpture or ornament in gemstone. By extension, the term ''lapidary'' has sometimes been applied to collectors of and dealers in gems, or to anyone who is knowledgeable in precious stones. Etymology The etymological root of the word 'lapidary' is the Latin word , meaning "stone".Douglas Harper (2014)Lapidary Online Etymology Dictionary In the 14th century, the term evolved from , meani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved in August 1947, and the first Head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of 1949. The future George VI was born in the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria; he was named Albert at birth after his great-grandfather Albert, Prince Consort, and was known as "Bertie" to his family and close friends. His father ascended the throne as George V in 1910. As the second son of the king, Albert was not expected to inherit the throne. He spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward VIII, Prince Edward, the heir apparent. Albert attended naval college as a teenager and served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force during the W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gemological Institute, London
Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. Some jewelers (and many non-jewelers) are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identify and evaluate gems. History Rudimentary education in gemology for jewellers and gemologists began in the nineteenth century, but the first qualifications were instigated after the National Association of Goldsmiths of Great Britain (NAG) set up a Gemmological Committee for this purpose in 1908. This committee matured into the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (also known as Gem-A), now an educational charity and accredited awarding body with its courses taught worldwide. The first US graduate of Gem-A's diploma course, in 1929, was Robert Shipley, who later established both the Gemological Institute of America and the American Gem Society. There are now several professional schools and associations of gemologists and certificatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Individual Gemstones
A number of gemstones have gained fame, either because of their size and beauty or because of the people who owned or wore them. A list of famous gemstones follows. Alexandrites * Smithsonian museums' Alexandrite, the largest cut alexandrite weighing 65.08 carats. Aquamarines A birthstone. * The Dom Pedro – The world's largest cut and polished aquamarine. Housed in the permanent collection of the Houston Museum of Natural Science Diamonds :''See List of diamonds'' Emeralds * Bahia Emerald * Carolina Emperor, 310 carats uncut, 64.8 carats cut; discovered in the United States in 2009, resides in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh * Chalk Emerald * Duke of Devonshire Emerald * Emerald of Saint Louis, 51.60 carats cut; discovered in Austria, probably Habachtal, resides in the National Museum of Natural History, Paris * Gachalá Emerald * Mogul Mughal Emerald * Patricia Emerald, 632 carats uncut, dihexagonal (12 sided); discovered in Colombia in 1920, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andamooka Opal
The Andamooka Opal is a famous opal which was presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 on the occasion of her first visit to South Australia. The opal was mined in Andamooka in 1949. The opal was cut and polished by John Altmann to a weight of . It displays a magnificent array of reds, blues, and greens and was set with diamonds into an 18 karat (75%) palladium necklet. See also * List of individual gemstones Other notable individual opals: * Galaxy Opal * Glorious Jubilee * Flame Queen Opal The Flame Queen Opal is perhaps the most famous of all opals. It is the best-known example of “eye-of-opal”, an eye-like effect created when opal in-fills a cavity. The Flame Queen's flat central raised dome flashes red or gold depending on t ... * Halley's Comet Opal * Olympic Australis Opal References Individual opals {{gemology-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galaxy Opal
The Galaxy Opal is the world's largest polished opal, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992."The Guinness book of records, 1993" October 1992, p.22/ref> It was found at the Boi Morto Mine in Brazil in 1976. The finished opal weighs approximately 3,749 carats, or 0.75 kg. It was carved from a grapefruit-sized piece of rough stone weighing 5,205 carats by Scott Cooley into a shape resembling a child's head. The weight of the finished stone was beyond the capacity of any gem measuring scale at the Gemological Institute of America and an approximation of its weight in carats had to be determined using a postal scale. The stone measures 14.0 x 10.2 x 4.1 cm (5-1/2 x 4 x 1-5/8 in). It is currently part of a private collection. See also * List of individual gemstones Other notable individual opals: * Andamooka Opal * Flame Queen Opal The Flame Queen Opal is perhaps the most famous of all opals. It is the best-known example of “eye-of-opal”, an eye-like ef ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Halley's Comet Opal
The Halley's Comet Opal is the largest uncut black opal in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is so named because it was unearthed in 1986, a year when Halley's Comet could be seen from Earth. It is the third largest gem grade black opal ever recorded, the largest one extant, and the largest specimen ever found in its region. It was found at Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia by the Lunatic Hill Mining Syndicate. It weighs (13.99 ounces) and is about the size of a man's fist. The Halley's Comet Opal is a very fine specimen, with few flaws or blemishes and a large green and orange thick color bar which goes through the opal. Formed about 20 million years ago, it is an example of a nobby, which is a natural lump-shaped opal found only at Lightning Ridge. As of 2006 it was for sale at $1.2 million. See also * List of individual gemstones A number of gemstones have gained fame, either because of their size and beauty or because of the pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
