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This listing was written from my heart and mind, with a detailed knowledge of and a love for our OOO products. Since June 2023 eBay has been promoting Artificial Intelligence-generated listing descriptions. I am not faulting AI generation. AI is a wonderful development with many beneficial applications. I just prefer to do it the old way. My way!

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Boulder Opal — Australia Queensland, Lot of Three Green/Blue/Purple Spangles, Sandstone Matrix. Rough Could Cut Cabochons

Source: Australia, State of Queensland

Shape: Freeform

Finish: Rough

Weight: 60 grams

Color: Green/Blue/Purple

Treatment: None, Natural Sandstone Matrix

We offer here a group of three boulder opal rough from Queensland Australia. Each one displays patches of brilliant green/blue/violet/purple on one face of the host banded sandstone matrix. They sparkle! The sizes are right to shape (or not) into pendants, or cut into earrings or ring stones. Not a thing is wrong with displaying one or more of them as additions to your rock and mineral collection.

The stones have been in our possession since the early 2000s. Listing photos display the size scaled next to US and Australian pennys. The photos were taken with an iPhone in afternoon Winter light. Occasional cloud cover may cause the colors of the red background cloth to change. The photo colors were not adjusted in any!

This material is natural Australian opal; we sell only Australian opal. We do not sell any lab-created simulants or “opal” from any countries other than Australia. We do not report carat weight of boulder opal as boulder stones are composed predominately of host rock with patterns and accents of precious opal. However, as many other boulder opal listings report carat weight, we will report the weight of the stones in grams. For the buyers reference, one (1) gram equals five (5) carats. Weight is approximately 60 grams.

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AUSTRALIAN QUEENSLAND BOULDER OPAL

Boulder opal was discovered in 1869 in the state of Queensland in Northeastern Australia. In Boulder opal, precious opal is found as thin seams or thicker patches of opal in the natural host rock, most commonly ironstone or sandstone. It is formed as infills in fractures, crevices, and or cavities in the rock when silica-laden groundwater trickles down and precipitates out as a solid. Precious Opal!

Boulder opal is most frequently cut into freeform irregular shaped Cabochons. To fashion a gem from the rock, it can be cut to display the thin seam on the face of the stone, retaining the host rock as a solid backing. Another style of cut reveals the seams of color in patterns that can resemble lightning strikes, gently flowing streams, or other wild and fanciful patterns. In this manner a relatively small occurrence of precious opal can show “face-up” or display a pattern of color to present a beautiful and valuable patterned gem stone.

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DIGITAL REPRESENTATION OF OPAL

We strive to accurately describe and depict our opal. All measurements are accurate using standard gemology measuring devices. These photos were taken in North exposure natural daylight with an iPhone camera. With digital photography it is impossible to represent opal with 100% accuracy. The color balance of photos is not adjusted in any way. The size of our stones may be depicted with a ruler or a brass dial caliper to show actual dimensions, or with an Australian or US penny for scale.

PAYMENT AND SHIPMENT

We ship by USPS First Class which includes tracking and full insurance. Domestic shipment is free to the buyer.

RETURNS

We recognize that opal is a very personal and emotional purchase. If you feel the opal is not as represented please contact us to discuss any issues you may have. If it is agreed the opal will be returned for refund, you may return it in its’ original condition in protective packaging within 14 days of receipt. Refund to the buyer will amount to the purchase price minus all eBay fees and the cost of outbound and return shipping.

FEEDBACK

Positive Feedback from a satisfied buyer is very important to us. If you are displeased with any aspect of our transaction, please message us so that we may rectify any problem and eliminate the need for negative feedback. We appreciate your business and thank you for trusting Outback Oz Opal.

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OUTBACK OZ OPAL

Outback Oz Opal began as a two-Geologist family unit in the middle of a street in Coober Pedy, South Australia where we bought from a gem cutter some finished Opal stones and rough Opal to cut and sell in the US. Subsequent Opal purchases of rough and finished stones were made at the Tucson, AZ Gem and Mineral Show where we developed some valuable friendships with Australian miner-cutter vendors. We learned so much about grading and cutting from them. Eventually we were able to purchase the bulk of our Opal off the kitchen table at our Flagstaff home from miner-cutter dealers who routed through on the gem show circuit (Albuquerque, Durango, Denver, Las Vegas, etc). Ultimately one miner stored hundreds of pounds of his rough in a SeaLand container on our property to avoid the expense of returning with unsold goods to Australia.

For several years we sold Opal under the name Outback Oz Opal in Flagstaff, AZ. We sold on eBay and locally to Native American artists on the nearby Navajo Reservation. Additionally we travelled each month to Zuni, New Mexico Pueblo where we sold from the back of our pickup truck parked “under the tree”. What a dream hobby for two Geologists! But, as is always the case, life happened — a great job opportunity for the Dad in another state and Military service for the Grandson, who had grown up in the business and cut his first Opal fetish when he was in Kindergarten. This fetish was a Zuni-style Bear with tire tred marks on its feet. Needless to say, this proud Grandmother still treasures that fetish!

We are OutbackOzOpal other internet selling platforms, and on eBay we are OznAzOpal. In addition to opal and Native American trade goods, we are listing items from the accumulation of family treasures, all manner of “flotsam and jetsam”. Please check out our listings which we truly believe are good value, as this is primarily a downsizing effort rather than a business. “I AM HAVING MY OWN ESTATE SALE”. We appreciate your business and thank you so much for trusting Outback Oz Opal.

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