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WwwwOW! I love the 'Stairway to Heaven', but they're all outstanding. Much thanks to OpalSupreme for sending this to me so I can post it for you. This is a real treat for every opalholic's eyes.

Sep 10, 2018, 12:16pm

Rare Collection Of Opals On Sale For $10.8 Million
Anthony DeMarco
Contributor
Watches & Jewelry

"A private collection of opals is slowly making its way around the world being shown privately to collectors. The hoard consists of 12 uncut, untreated black opals of varying shapes and sizes acquired over a period of 100 years. The collection was put together by a group of generational miners from Lightning Ridge, Australia, a remote village about 500 miles north of Sydney that is known for black opal. It’s one of about four major opal mining regions in the country. Together it is estimated that they produce about 90 percent of the world’s opals.

The weight of the pieces in the collection runs from 21 to 6,085 carats. Collectively they produce a rainbow of luminous, iridescent color. In addition, they are 100% natural, meaning they’re uncut and untreated, according to reports on each opal by Gemological Institute of America, which described each stone as “notable.” Individually each attribute is desirable but together in a collection of this size and scope these opals are almost as rare as finding a pterodactyl in the Australian Outback.


"The Phoenix," a 91.07-carat opal with iridescent colors and a distinct "Broad Rolling Harlequin" color pattern. GIA Portrait Report: #5171131042Robert Weldon

The asking price for the collection is $10.8 million.

Gracie Hays, a gemologist, is the representative for the seller. She and her husband, Gregory, owns The Gem Garden jewelry store in San Marcos, Calif., and separate gem cutting and jewelry design businesses. The seller has requested ... "
https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydem ... c8b716787c

Some beautiful pieces there. I do wonder about the claim: "In addition, they are 100% natural, meaning they’re uncut and untreated, according to reports on each opal by Gemological Institute of America" - they look contour sanded and polished to me, which is certainly cutting. Great pieces and photos, regardless.

Some killer stones with a hard row to hoe. Achieving both get the top dollar carvings prices without showing what is even included (nothing big goes for as much as small wearable things) in the parcel AND to have it left uncut down for value and that unrealized so they can be displayed as advertisement for the mining district to get more miners lusting after them. As someone who has asked museums to consider purchasing 1 pound plus skin to skin black opals or precious logs or snake heads...."Go find somebody to buy it and give it to us". I can't even get experts to define what fossils (teeth, bones, casts) even are with a description of what it is followed by their name. (If you are one or know one, please contact or make them contact me with their fee structure so I can put a proper price on our black opal fossilized teeth or whatever over the more common down under Geological time period precious gems.) You're talking size and quality n that parcel compared to barely any quantity to find quality out of. Which is rarer or more valuable when it comes down to the final buy? I'd like to see it all bought by a bullionaire and it made into a set of killer "crown jewelry" for his main squeeze like they did in the old kingdom days. In fact Lana just offered the Opal museum the huge precious wood she dug last year at the Bonanza Mine in Virgin Valley for purchase.......... We ended up selling the huge one I had back to the Mine Owner because nobody at the gem shows thought it was worthy at only 1,000 a pound??? Good luck guys. You have the "reputation" to deal with as we do.

SwordfishMining wrote:We ended up selling the huge one I had back to the Mine Owner because nobody at the gem shows thought it was worthy at only 1,000 a pound???

That'd have been a bargain - only about $2 per gram!

rocks2dust wrote:

SwordfishMining wrote:We ended up selling the huge one I had back to the Mine Owner because nobody at the gem shows thought it was worthy at only 1,000 a pound???

That'd have been a bargain - only about $2 per gram!

Did you ever get to see pictures of this log that John is referring to? It is the stuff of dreams and certainly worth more than a mere $1,000/lbs

I would buy it at that price if I had the capital, that log has ideal cutting quality opal.... solid N1 black rind that looked over an inch thick in places.... there’s probably close to 8,000 to 10,000ct of cuttable blitz opal in that log

Geeze based on the few pics, its overpriced 5-10x.

SwordfishMining wrote:Some killer stones with a hard row to hoe. Achieving both get the top dollar carvings prices without showing what is even included (nothing big goes for as much as small wearable things) in the parcel AND to have it left uncut down for value and that unrealized so they can be displayed as advertisement for the mining district to get more miners lusting after them. As someone who has asked museums to consider purchasing 1 pound plus skin to skin black opals or precious logs or snake heads...."Go find somebody to buy it and give it to us". I can't even get experts to define what fossils (teeth, bones, casts) even are with a description of what it is followed by their name. (If you are one or know one, please contact or make them contact me with their fee structure so I can put a proper price on our black opal fossilized teeth or whatever over the more common down under Geological time period precious gems.) You're talking size and quality n that parcel compared to barely any quantity to find quality out of. Which is rarer or more valuable when it comes down to the final buy? I'd like to see it all bought by a bullionaire and it made into a set of killer "crown jewelry" for his main squeeze like they did in the old kingdom days. In fact Lana just offered the Opal museum the huge precious wood she dug last year at the Bonanza Mine in Virgin Valley for purchase.......... We ended up selling the huge one I had back to the Mine Owner because nobody at the gem shows thought it was worthy at only 1,000 a pound??? Good luck guys. You have the "reputation" to deal with as we do.

If the teeth are from OZ, I can get a realistic value.
I agree re the 10 mil, Ive seen a lot better for a fraction of the price they want. And I mean 10x better.

Nope. These are early or late miocene, North American. I always dreampt of asking prices i see on bribe price opals. And made up a few myslf. (also need a positive ID on the snake head cast still, as I can't seem to be in a hurry.