The Andamooka Opal necklace and earrings set was gifted to Queen Elizabeth by the Australian government.
Photo: Courtesy of Altmann + Cherny
6 of the World’s Rarest and Most Impressive Opals
From historic jewels to museum-worthy specimens, this fiery, iridescent gem is deeply beloved by royals, curators, and collectors
While opals are mined in Ethiopia, Brazil, Mexico, and even the United States, the most precious variety comes from Australia. That these coveted gems are known as “black opals” can be confusing—they are not black (like onyx or jet) but instead have a dark, deep blue or green hue that appears lit from within. This internal “fire” flashes rainbow-like light patterns, giving each opal a unique appearance and personality.
Opals have a captivating quality that has enchanted more than a few historic monarchs. Consider Empress Josephine’s Burning of Troy opal, a 700-carat wonder named for its flame-red flashes, a gift she received from Napoleon. Unfortunately there are no documentary photographs. Jewelry historians report that its ownership has changed over the centuries, but its current whereabouts are unknown.
The jewelry-loving public’s fascination with opals can be traced back to Queen Victoria, who had a particular fondness for the gem and helped dispel the myth that wearing the stone could bring bad luck. That mistruth is largely connected to Anne of Geierstein, an 1829 novel by Sir Walter Scott in which the main character death’s is connected to an opal talisman.
Queen Victoria owned several opals and gave each of her daughters a suite of opal jewels as a wedding gift. One of her most iconic opal treasures was a headpiece commissioned by her husband Prince Albert. Known as the Indian circlet, the design was created by Garrard, the official Crown Jeweler at the time, and was presented to the Queen along with a coordinating suite of diamond and opal jewelry.
Thanks to Queen Victoria’s championing of opals, anyone who wishes to can feel free to step into the fire (especially those born in October—opal is that month’s birthstone). Below, a look at six of the rarest opals in existence.
The Aurora Australis is a 180-carat marvel. Photo: Courtesy of Altmann + Cherny
1. The Aurora Australis
Believed to be the world’s most valuable black opal, this 180-carat marvel was first discovered at the famed Lightning Ridge mine in New South Wales, Australia in 1938. It was later acquired by the Sydney-based opal dealer Altmann + Cherny, which is still in operation today. The firm’s lapidaries cut and polished the gem to reveal its mesmerizing harlequin pattern and bold flashes of red, green and blue. Currently valued at $1,000,000, it is on permanent display at the Altmann + Cherny showroom.
The spectacular set was rarely worn. Photo: Courtesy of Altmann + Cherny
The Andamooka Opal necklace and earrings set was gifted to Queen Elizabeth by the Australian government Photo: Courtesy of Altmann + Cherny
2. Queen Elizabeth’s Andamooka Opal Parure
Named for a mining area near Adelaide, Australia, the Andamooka Opal necklace and earrings set was gifted to Queen Elizabeth by the Australian government upon her first official visit to that country in 1954. The centerpiece of the necklace weighs 203 carats and is considered one of the largest and rarest opals ever found. The spectacular necklace and earrings, both presented in intricate settings of palladium with diamonds, were rarely worn (or seen) and spend most of their time in the royal vaults.
The Dietrich Opal Brooch by Louis Comfort Tiffany Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's
3. Dietrich Opal Brooch by Louis Comfort Tiffany
According to the Smithsonian Institute, Louis Comfort Tiffany, best known for his stained glass windows and lamps, was particularly fond of opals and the stone features prominently in the jewelry he designed. This brooch, once part of the estate of Pennsylvania industrialist and philanthropist William B. Dietrich, features a central opal accompanied by accents of sapphire, demantoid garnets and spessartite garnets. Its current owner acquired it at a Sothebys Magnificent Jewels auction in 2017 (final hammer price: $75,000).
An opal pendant by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Photo: Courtesy of AMNH
4. AMNH Opal Pendant by Louis Comfort Tiffany
Part of the American Museum of Natural History’s extraordinary Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, this Louis Comfort Tiffany pendant features opals in glorious abundance, and the complementary garnets, chrysoberyls, sapphires, topazes, and pearls intensify their rainbow-like flashes of color. According to the museum, when Tiffany began designing jewelry in the 1900s, monochromatic diamond and pearl jewelry was the norm; and, perhaps not surprisingly, the artist preferred to work with colored gemstones.
Photograph of the Roebling opal. Photo: Chip Clark, NMNH
5. Roebling Opal
Part of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s permanent collection, this rough opal specimen deserves recognition for its impressive size (2,585 carats) and surprising origin: Virgin Valley, Nevada. The opal’s original owner was Washington Roebling—famous for having led the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge—and was part of a mineral collection that his son, John. A. Roebling donated to the museum in 1926.
Photograph of the Zale Dark Jubilee opal with reflection. Photo: Chip Clark, NMNH
6. Dark Jubilee Opal
This 318.4-carat opal is another permanent resident of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s gem and mineral collection. Its first “home” was in the Coober Pedy mine in Southern Australia and in low light, the opal’s vivid blue, green and flame-red sparks almost appear to glow in the dark. The Zale Corporation gifted the opal to the museum in 1980.
Cover: The Andamooka Opal necklace and earrings set was gifted to Queen Elizabeth by the Australian government.
Photo: Courtesy of Altmann + Cherny
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