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 Post subject: New find of ethiopian crystal opal
PostPosted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:00 am 
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Location: Hohe Tauern N.P., Austria
Yesterday I got word of a new find of facet-grade crystal opal in ethiopia. Some local dealers with this material are in vienna right now to establish trading contacts. As I heard so far, the material is looking very nice, large rough sizes, but also has the old problem of brittleness and sensitivity. 1 out of three cut test stones did´nt survive the cutting process, furthermore the cut pieces are extremely sensitive when mounted in jewellry too. No pictures yet, also no location name. Will add infos asap.

Anyone else heard of this new find?

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:35 pm 
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:?: is it the "welo opal?" found this from GIA's website:

http://www.howtobuyagemstone.gia.edu/re ... -opal.html

there's quite a bit of material (and you tube videos) on the new find of ethiopian opal, if this is what you're speaking of, nikolaus, not sure though. beautiful material.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 5:15 pm 
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Location: New Zealand
Hi Nikolaus

I was today at a Gemshow here in Germany and there where some Ethiopian-dealers with welo/wolo opals and they had some real clear-translucent facet grade material as well as some of the hydrophane opals , also some with a yellowish body color (hydrophane).
I asked them from where the translucent material was and they answerd :all from the same place!
Well who knows.
But the facet grade material had definitely more of a cracking problem going on then the hydrophane stuff.
So maybe its the same material like the one your talking about.


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 6:29 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:14 am
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Location: Canberra / Siem Reap
you may like to see the cutting notes on my site www.weloopal.com
so far. none of my cut stones have cracked.
Also- I do not presently have any for sale- but may be visiting Welo after Tucson.


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:10 am 
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Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:40 pm
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Location: Australia/East Africa
Hi Guys,

Just got back from East Africa. No new finds that I know of that aren't in the close vicinity of the already known areas. Still nice material (and some large pieces) coming out with great colour-play. I have plenty available. It is not only the yellow that is hydrophane though, yet in my experience the yellowish stone or the yellow or brownish areas in white stones seem more prone to cracking during cutting. I have had success by removing these areas prior to cutting when they only make up a corner or section of a larger stone. After a while you can pick the stones that might have issues and I don't sell them. As James stated with his stones, none of my cut stones have cracked and I have been dealing with the material since its discovery.

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