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Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 4:46 pm
by Mila
Hello,

I wonder if those inclusions in Ethiopian opal are organic.
Here's a video

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:04 pm
by SwordfishMining
Opal can catch organic things. I can't say it makes a connection for what it is by looking at it. The spherical shape implies fluid inclusions more than things. I wouldn't drink it.

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:17 pm
by PinkDiamond
Hello Mila, and welcome to the forum. I agree with John that it's possible for remnants of organic matter to be in opals, but nothing can really be determined from photos, so you might want to take it to someone who can look at it under high magnification to get a better look at them and maybe make a determination as to what they are.

Do you plan to cut it? If so, I'm wondering how deep the inclusions go so let us know if you do. ;)

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 9:52 pm
by Mila
PinkDiamond wrote:Hello Mila, and welcome to the forum. I agree with John that it's possible for remnants of organic matter to be in opals, but nothing can really be determined from photos, so you might want to take it to someone who can look at it under high magnification to get a better look at them and maybe make a determination as to what they are.

Do you plan to cut it? If so, I'm wondering how deep the inclusions go so let us know if you do. ;)

Thank you, PinkDiamond!
I am not going to cut it. It is a crystal that should be kept in water. So it probably will crack if it is cut.
I did see kind of similar inclusions in ambers.
Maybe these are air bubbles?
What do you think about this one

https://youtu.be/T2z9_kRCpRY


Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 2:05 am
by PinkDiamond
That's a real beauty, and I love what you named it. :!:

You embedded the first video, but not the second so I embedded it for you.

Based on you embedding the first one I think you're aware that you only need the actual alphanumeric code for the video itself, so out of the original link (which I added a space to so it won't abbreviate it)

https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2z9_kRCpRY

... you would only need to drop the part shown below between the youtube brackets to embed them on the forum. ;)

T2z9_kRCpRY

Did the seller of the first one tell you it must be kept in water for some reason? The second one doesn't need to be kept in water, right? I ask because most Ethiopian opals don't crack when dried, other than some Shewa nuts if memory serves me right, so I don't keep any of my Ethiopian opals in water, only my Virgin Valley opals since they were sent to me in a small jar of water.

You're definitely an opalholic with a good eye for beautiful opals. :)

*Edited to add that you're through the screening process now so your posts will instantly appear on the Board, and you have access to the private messaging.

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:31 am
by SwordfishMining
For some reason not all of them will always play from here for me. I hit the link to youtube they do? Thats a cute one too. I like how you held the focus & played the light behind it.

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 2:02 pm
by Mila
PinkDiamond wrote:That's a real beauty, and I love what you named it. :!:

You embedded the first video, but not the second so I embedded it for you.

Based on you embedding the first one I think you're aware that you only need the actual alphanumeric code for the video itself, so out of the original link (which I added a space to so it won't abbreviate it)

https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2z9_kRCpRY

... you would only need to drop the part shown below between the youtube brackets to embed them on the forum. ;)

T2z9_kRCpRY

Did the seller of the first one tell you it must be kept in water for some reason? The second one doesn't need to be kept in water, right? I ask because most Ethiopian opals don't crack when dried, other than some Shewa nuts if memory serves me right, so I don't keep any of my Ethiopian opals in water, only my Virgin Valley opals since they were sent to me in a small jar of water.

You're definitely an opalholic with a good eye for beautiful opals. :)

*Edited to add that you're through the screening process now so your posts will instantly appear on the Board, and you have access to the private messaging.


Thank you!
The second opal also should be kept in water.
In fact, they even were mailed to me in water.
These crystals are non-hydrophane. It is opal gamble, it may or may not be gem grade material. They call it “Display Specimen.”
I bought them just to look at.

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 2:03 pm
by Mila
SwordfishMining wrote:For some reason not all of them will always play from here for me. I hit the link to youtube they do? Thats a cute one too. I like how you held the focus & played the light behind it.

Thank you!

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:17 pm
by SwordfishMining
I'll stand corrected on not seeing round mineral things before.
Image
This Ethiopian opal contained an interesting inclusion scene consisting of a string of octahedral pyrite crystals and aragonite spheres. Photomicrograph by Charuwan Khowpong; field of view 1.40 mm.
An old blurb from GIA. Nothing else opal there
https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research/w ... amonds-gem

Re: Unusual inclusions in Ethiopian opal

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:31 pm
by Mila
SwordfishMining wrote:I'll stand corrected on not seeing round mineral things before.

This Ethiopian opal contained an interesting inclusion scene consisting of a string of octahedral pyrite crystals and aragonite spheres.
An old blurb from GIA.

Thanks!
I did see the picture you've posted.
Here's a microscopic image of the second opal. Is this dendrite?