Repost: Can this be a plant or leaf transferred image?
opalethiopia wrote:I just added this opal to the $1 no reserve listings... I can't explain what I see inside of it. It looks identical to some sort of leaf or plant. I was talking with brightlights and I do believe I might have something interesting here. Take a look. I took a few new photos.. well the best I can get.
Here is the listing number 253045
Voltaire wrote:What ever the cause of that pattern.. It's FRICKIN' amazing!!!
PinkDiamond wrote:Omigosh! I've never seen anything like that in an opal before, and that is really amazing! Are you sure you really want to sell it??! I supposed it could be opalized plant matter, but whatever it is, it's FABULOUS!!!
brightlights wrote:It looks like a plant, but not... My leaning was that it might be a PLUME. Have you ever heard of plume agate?
Here is a nice cab that has a good example:
A Followup link with some good information for agate inclusions:
http://www.agateswithinclusions.com/About-Agates.html
So.. Ok MAYBE a plume. Would that be IMPOSSIBLE? I don't think. Agate and Opal have some common linage during formation. Mainly they are both silica based only technicals seperate them. In the above, a priday plume agate thunderegg, volcanic in some nature. (Not all opal, but the Welo seems to be.) The plumes are inclusions usually caused by iron or manganese oxide entering the agate while it is forming still in a gel state. So my hypothesis is that the plume formed in the opal while in a gel state just like in an agate. THEN either the plume was dissolved and additional opal formed leaving an outline of the plume or the oxide slowly migrated out into the opal and eventually new opal fill the space, again resulting in the outline. There is not much color in the stone except the pseudomorphed plume so maybe it did not align the opal color lattice correctly until the pseudomorph took place.
If this is the fact, it may be a very unique and extremely rare piece. I've never seen anything like it before. I think the closest thing i the opal from Opal butte, Oregon. There you have a clear opal base with plumes and inclusions that make some wonderful scenic opal. Here you have similar and then a pseudomorphs of the oxide back to opal. The only other opal pseudomorphs that pop into mind are the famed Austrailian "Pineapples" that are THOUGHT to maybe be pseudomorphed opal after Calcite after IKAITE!!!!
Anyone have experiences with psudomorphs or plumes that want to expand on it?
jenador4 wrote:That is one beautiful specimen. It looks to me like an underwater image. It's a pity your selling it as it really is unusual and you may not ever find another one similar again, on the other hand I might place a couple of bids myself!!
opalethiopia wrote:Well no I am not exactly sure I want to sell it haha... I don't think I am going to remove the listing though. I just wish I knew what it could be. I really doubt that it's a fluke pattern that happens to look like a plant or leaf. It is too uniform to be a fluke.
I hope the buyer will know something about it or will have a knowledge of the sort. I am really glad that others think that it's a rare and cool characteristic as well.
I am thinking that I agree with you brightlights... It does make sense that this could have formed while still in a gel state. It does look almost identical to the plume agate photo.
Maybe I should take if off the auction block and send the stone to someone. Are any of you qualified to examine a stone and that would be able to determine anything at all using a microscope or different instrument?
PinkDiamond wrote:I would be more than happy to put it under the microscope, but mine's max is 40x, so I don't know if that's enough, and I could give you a report on what I think I see, but I've no way to take a shot of it under the scope.
But I could even ask the ISG to scope it and give us pics, if you think you might like to go that route. Don't know if they'd charge us, or how much it would be if they did, but I would be happy to ask if you're interested. I was going to go bid on it, but if you're not sure you really want to sell it, I don't want to have another incident where I place a bid and the seller decides to just pull the auction and disappear. I don't think you would do that, but I want to make sure you want to sell it before I put myself in that situation again. You know; once bitten twice shy.
opalethiopia wrote:Hey Pink, I sent you a message about the other testing and having you look at it... I'm thinking it might be a good idea. I WILL sell the stone on here no matter what though.
brightlights wrote:opalethiopia wrote:Hey Pink, I sent you a message about the other testing and having you look at it... I'm thinking it might be a good idea. I WILL sell the stone on here no matter what though.
Maybe modify the auction that the stone will be sent for testing before the winner receives it or something? I started as the first bidder and am currently the high bidder, so I do not have any problem if you wish to modify/suspend the auction for further testing if it will show back up in the future.
I like the idea of the ISG scoping it, and would even kick $20 into the hat if they charge for the service. I think there maybe some scientific study worth doing here on this piece. The other person that may have some abilities is Gemaddicts... He is into inclusions and such. I PM'd him, so maybe he'll pop in and give a look at it?
opalethiopia wrote:Ok that sounds like a deal. I will suspend the listing. I will send the stone out to get scoped and we can all learn something!
I will list the stone as soon as I get it back. Thank you for bidding on it so it's pretty fair I guess to send the stone out. I am being honest and I am glad I have some support even though the stone is already listed.
THANKS!
PinkDiamond wrote:I doubt anyone would have a problem with it being pulled to get more information on it since you're going to relist it, but I would tell any bidders you already have that you will notify them when it goes back up for sale.
brightlights wrote:I'm cool with it.
Can I recommend a name for the pattern? "Bright Plume Opal "!! Ok.. Maybe I don't have to get part of my handle in there, but at least I didn't ask for "Steveite"... Maybe just "Plume Opal" will work if that is what it tests out as.
PinkDiamond wrote:Yes, I have the stone at the moment, and it's fascinating to look at under the microscope. I asked James Dumar about whether or not there could have ever been plant matter in there, and he said no, and that it's possibly a thin film of mineral oxides. I'm hoping I'll hear back from a gemologist friend of his in the UK who is writing about these, so hopefully he can tell us exactly what it is.
In my search for information I came across one for sale, but it didn't look nearly as impressive as opalethiopia's, but with only one picture it's hard to tell because if you rock this one from side to side, one side disappears while the other side lights up, and they go through all the spectral colors. So it's hard to get a pic of both sides lit at once, but even if the other one for sale has more plumes, I still think this one is more spectacular, and they are rare. The plumes are easily seen through the flat back side of the cabochon, but not so much through the top. I've tried to take pics of it through the microscope, but I'm having no luck at all. Of course, that's nothing new.
Much thanks to James for his reply to my inquiry. I had enough dumb questions to sink a ship. And BL, Plume Opal sounds perfect for it, but to get it you're going to have to duke it out with a lot of bidders!