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All auctions / Ethnographical / EXCEPTIONAL Fire Opal - Mexico 8.40 carats - NO RESERVE...
This exceptional natural Mexican fire opal of 8.40 carats, preserved within its matrix, is a collection piece particularly remarkable for its dimensions, its depth, and above all for the richness of its multicolored play of colors. Its opalescent core presents a superb honey to golden-orange background, traversed by extremely bright flashes of electric green, yellow-gold, red, orange, blue and violet. Light penetrates deeply into the material before being fragmented by the various internal structures, giving the impression of observing a true incandescent crystalline landscape. The gray-white surrounding matrix around the opal naturally frames this precious zone and directly attests to its formation environment. With its substantial weight of 8.40 carats and its exceptional thickness of 8.3 mm, this specimen possesses an especially impressive presence and depth. Characteristics - Stone: Natural Mexican fire opal - Type: Precious opal in matrix - Origin: Mexico - Weight: 8.40 carats - Dimensions: 13.2 × 12 × 8.3 mm - Body color: Honey, yellow-gold to orange - Color play: Electric green, yellow, orange, red, blue and violet - Optical phenomenon: Play-of-color - Presentation: Opal naturally associated with its matrix - Morphology: Compact and particularly thick form - Interest: Gemology, mineralogy and collection A true heart of light What makes this piece immediately spectacular is the amount of opalescent material visible through its matrix. The center of the specimen seems to be composed of several translucent, superimposed levels. Light traverses these depths and reveals a profusion of tiny multicolored flashes. Some areas take on a warm incandescent honey hue, while others flare with electric green or reveal small red, blue and violet specks. This architecture gives the specimen an extremely dynamic appearance: the image observed continuously changes as the stone is tilted. 8.40 carats: an unusually massive piece With 8.40 carats in only 13.2 × 12 mm, this opal is distinguished above all by its substantial thickness of 8.3 mm. This depth is essential to its aesthetics. It allows observing the opaline material not as a simple colored layer, but as a true three-dimensional volume. The gaze penetrates the stone and successively encounters transparent zones, natural fractures, interfaces with the matrix, and different color concentrations. Under magnification, the specimen becomes a true miniature landscape. An opal preserved in its original matrix One of the major interests of this piece lies in the preservation of its host rock. The gray-white matrix still largely surrounds the opal and allows appreciation of how the precious material settled into the cavities and fractures of the rock. The irregular boundaries between the two materials constitute the direct traces of this natural formation. Each contour is unique. Each color pocket corresponds to a particular organization of the material. It is therefore impossible to find exactly the same architecture on another specimen. For the collector, this pairing offers something that an entirely isolated opal cannot show: a part of its original geological context. Mexico, emblematic provenance of fire opal Mexico holds a major historic place in the universe of fire opal. Its volcanic regions produced some of the most famous yellow, orange and fire-red opals in the world, making this provenance a reference for collectors and gemologists. The history of Mexican opal goes back well before modern mining. Opals were already known and valued in pre-Columbian cultures. Their commercial exploitation later experienced a substantial revival in the 19th century, a period during which Mexican stones began to gain international renown. This long history explains why the mention of Mexican provenance carries today such a strong identity in the world of opal. A birth tied to ancient volcanic environments The famous Mexican opals are tightly linked to the country’s volcanic formations. During their long geological history, silica-bearing solutions could penetrate cracks and cavities in rocks. The silica material gradually deposited there to form opal. On this piece, this process is almost legible directly: the opaline material appears embedded in its mineral support, as if part of the ancient cavity system had been preserved. The specimen thus becomes not only a gem but also a miniature witness of an ancient geological process. Why does it produce so many colors? The color play of a precious opal results from its microscopic structure. When the internal organization of the silica has the necessary characteristics, visible light interacts with this structure and different wavelengths appear depending on the orientation. This explains why this piece can shift from a golden dominance to neon green flashes, red-orange, blue or purple simply by changing its angle relative to the light. The diversity of visible colors and their distribution across several depths precisely constitute one of the great visual qualities of this specimen. A true collector’s piece This opal combines a particularly seductive mix: a substantial weight of 8.40 carats, notable thickness, a significant presence of opaline matter, a clearly identifiable matrix, and an extremely rich color play. The honey-orange hue brings the warmth characteristic of great Mexican fire opals, while the green, red, yellow, blue and violet flashes bring the whole to life. Under directional light, the stone seems almost to glow from within. A remarkable Mexican opal in matrix, massive and deeply three-dimensional, whose golden heart holds a true natural kaleidoscope of colors — a spectacular fragment of Mexico’s volcanic geological history. General Terms of Sale – MineralsOpals: At MineralsOpals, your satisfaction is an absolute priority. All orders are handled with the utmost care, from stone selection to final shipping. - Shipping & timelines: Shipped within 1 to 3 business days maximum, generally the day after the order. Shipping from Monday to Friday (excluding weekends and holidays). Each package is sent via La Poste with a tracking number provided. Careful packaging: each stone is individually protected, then placed in a rigid secure carton. - Warranty & customer service: 100% of shipments are guaranteed: in case of a problem, we always find a solution. You shop with complete confidence: full refund, replacement, or courtesy gesture in case of loss or proven issue. If you have a question, doubt or specific request, you can contact me at any time, I am happy to respond as soon as possible. Trust & commitment Each stone is photographed with care to reflect its natural beauty. You benefit from a personalized tracking. My goal: to offer you a reliable, humane and transparent purchasing experience. Thank you for your support. Feel free to browse our no-reserve auctions to discover other exceptional products and follow us to stay informed of new offers.
Estimate:£0.84
To the auctionView all items fromCatawikiorEthnographical
Estimate:
£0.84
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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