Lovelle Jewellery have one of the widest selections of Australian Opal Jewellery in Sydney’s CBD.

Did you know that these precious stones take 1.2 billion years to form and that 95% of the world’s opal production happens in Australia, 10% of these are black opal which is dark grey and has a complete rainbow colour spectrum. Variants of this gem include the boulder opal, extracted as a single piece from Northern Queensland, Quilpie, and Winton. White opal, instead, has a milky or translucent appearance, while the Welo or African/Ethiopian opal has distinctive markings that catch the light and shimmer.

TRIPLET OPAL

Triplet Opals are the most afforable type of opal as they are made of 3 natural layers. A slice of natural opal in the centre is protected by a crystal cover, and black onyx covers the backing. Triplet Opals are made from the most optimal cutting of natural opal and the crystal cabochon serves to magnify and protect the stone.

DOUBLET OPAL

Doublet opals are 2 natural layers of opal fixed together by a master jeweller. It consists of the natural opal layer affixed upon a layer of boulder opal ironstone. Therefore, when you touch the surface of a doublet opal, you are touching the natural opal directly.

SOLID BLACK OPAL

Unlike the name, black opals aren’t names because they are black in colour. Rather, the have a dark grey mother stone and is named as such. Black opals have a complete rainbow colour spectrum, ranging from cobalt blues with green fires, to red and rainbow plays of colour. Our solid black opals are a solid piece of natural opal found from New South Wales, Lightning Ridge. Our opals generally have leftover motherstone on the back of the gem in order to prove that not too much has been taken off in the process of shaping the stone. They are the most valuable and expensive type of opal on the market.

BOULDER OPAL

Boulder opal is considered a solid opal stone, and is described as when opal forms with the ironstone and is extracted as a single piece. Our boulder opals are sourced from Northen Queensland, Quilpie and Winton.

WHITE OPAL

This gemstone originates primary from South Australia, where 80% of the worlds opals come from Coober Pedy. Similar to the black and boulder opal this gemstone exhibits brilliant internal colours but rather than a dark body, white opals have a milky or transluscent appearance. White opals have not been made into layered stones, and will only be found in solid forms.

WELO OPAL (AFRICAN OPAL/ETHIOPIAN OPAL)

Opals have been mined for more than 165 years in Australia. However, the finding of opals from Wollo, Ethiopia has been around for only about 20 years. Ethiopian opals have some distinctive markings and movements that resemble flames within the stone. The opal body is generally white, light yellow or clear.