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Hiyas all

just trying to step further in understanding opal and confused . It`s about boulder, matrix and matrix boulder, here`s a few question, hope you guys and gals can help me.

1.Are those only applicable for australian opal only?

2.If they aren`t can someone tell definition of each?

3.Yes I`ve search the internet and still a little bit confused for example is boulder opal`s host can only be stone? what if the host was petrified wood?

4.matrix boulder opal, is this term an official term (a gemolog term) or is it just a seller term?

Hope you all can understand my question, and thanks before for the answers

I sure hope mick comes by; maybe he can answer your question rizal, since I have no experience with boulder opal and know very little about it so I'm hoping to learn something from the response you get too.

As one on the other side of the deposit like you are, this is how I define it.
Matrix opal is applicable worldwide and it refers to opalized material other than pure opal. Like ash or diatomaceous earth or an opal in material it cant be separated from to cut natural pure opal stones. So wood would be another type, but the most unique of all. There is a N number that all of the types are lumped into not by shade and yes the woods go there. You are allowed to say black crystal white whatever descriptive terms after that.
Boulder opal refers to the mining areas working that material in Australia only. If you came up with the same matrix ie that brown stuff not something else it would also be called boulder opal but have to have a location tagged on like Honduran Matrix or Louisianan or Andamooka & they have two basic grades concrete and sandstone I think by hardness and matrix material or density or Fairy (from boulder land even less dense and more pin fire) to show it came from that mining district. They have not seemed to put the mining district on half of them, like Koroit or Yowah when selling.
Wood is wood and it it goes into the clay the clay is matrix. A lot of boulder opal is a thin vein not wide opalized chunks. I have similar matrix type here but it is bright thin veins in an algae matrix. Wood is called precious opalised wood when I describe it- not matrix opal. If it is cut long wise it is called line fire as the industry accepted name. If it is cut crosswise it is grain fire, if it has pure opal lenses contained in the wood areas it is conk.If just wood and opal it is called wood and opal. I'd go with what you already named yours and just keep advertising as such. Don't forget Ethiopia Wolo and Shewa opal was mined by metric tons every year since they got rolling and tons will get you a name.It has worked for Virgin Valley to just keep selling as the rare occurrence it is. Pure opal does not need anything other than the mining district, mixed opals are all labeled matrix. As far as patterns just use any of the Wolo ones that match and say it is Banteen "x " floral pinfire broadflash asteria what ever.

Matrix boulder opal is a Australian seller term to further define what it is. Boulder area but a matrix deposit not boulder nodules. Hope that helps.

Helped me, thanks John!

Whoaaa now I am enlightened, helped me a lot, many thanks John