The Most Beautiful Opal, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the Opal you think is the most beautiful!

Updated on May 2, 2024 06:19

Opals capture the essence of beauty with their fiery play of colors, each stone flashing its unique pattern and story. Collectors, enthusiasts, and newcomers alike strive to find the most stunning specimens. Yet, determining which opal stands out the most can be subjective and varies from person to person. This dynamic creates a compelling need for a collective judgment on these mesmerizing gems. By participating in the live voting process, users contribute to a communal evaluation, highlighting opals that resonate the most with a diverse audience. This ongoing ranking not only offers recognition for particular stones but also helps guide new admirers in understanding what makes an opal truly spectacular. Engaging with this list, you help paint a clearer picture of excellence in the world of opals.

What Is the Most Beautiful Opal?

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75
votes
The Virgin Rainbow Opal

John Dunstan

Considered one of the most beautiful opals in the world due to its vibrant colors and kaleidoscopic patterns. It was discovered in Australia's opal fields in 2003.
The Virgin Rainbow Opal is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful opals in the world. It is a mesmerizing gemstone with an enchanting display of iridescent colors.

Origin: Coober Pedy, South Australia

Weight: 72 carats

Color: Vibrant spectrum of predominantly red, orange, and yellow hues

Pattern: Harlequin pattern with translucent crystal opal

Size: Approximately 63mm long
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31
votes
The Fire of Australia Opal

Another stunning opal found in Australia. It is known for its fiery red, orange, and yellow colors, which seem to dance in the light.
The Fire of Australia Opal is a mesmerizing gemstone renowned for its exceptional play of colors. This opal, found in the mines of the Australian outback, displays an extraordinary range of vibrant hues that dance and flicker across its surface, creating a captivating spectacle.

Size: The Fire of Australia Opal weighs approximately 998 carats.

Color: The opal showcases a magnificent array of colors, including fiery reds, vibrant oranges, brilliant yellows, vivid greens, and mesmerizing blues.

Play of Colors: It exhibits a mesmerizing play of colors, with vibrant flashes and patterns that change with the angle of observation.

Transparency: The opal has a translucent to opaque appearance, allowing light to pass through with a dazzling effect.

Shape: The gemstone is irregular in shape, featuring unique contours and a naturally organic form.
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18
votes
Ra'ike (see also: de:Benutzer:Ra'ike) · CC BY 3.0

The Black Opal

This opal is named for its dark base color, which enhances the brilliance of its rainbow hues. It is mainly found in Lightning Ridge, Australia.
The Black Opal is a mesmerizing gemstone known for its captivating play of colors set against a dark background. It is considered one of the most sought-after and beautiful opals in the world.

Color: Dark, with vibrant flashes of spectral colors

Body Tone: Typically dark to black

Play of Colors: Displays intense and vibrant patterns of color

Transparency: Opaque, with translucency in some areas

Fire: Exhibits strong dispersion and brilliance
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19
votes
The Harlequin Opal

This rare type of opal displays a unique pattern of angular, colored blocks. It is highly sought after by collectors and jewelry designers.
The Harlequin Opal is a mesmerizing gemstone known for its extraordinary color play and unique patterning. It is considered one of the rarest and most beautiful opals in the world, captivating the beholder with its stunning visual effects.

Play-of-Color: Displays a vibrant range of colors, including red, blue, green, orange, and violet.

Patterning: Characterized by distinct geometric or angular patterns, resembling a checkerboard or mosaic.

Transparency: Ranges from translucent to opaque, allowing light to pass through and enhance the play-of-color.

Color Variation: Exhibits intense color variations within a single gemstone, creating a captivating visual effect.

Origin: Found mainly in Australia, particularly in the opal-rich mines of Lightning Ridge.
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10
votes
The Crystal Opal

This opal is prized for its transparency, allowing the colors to shine through with greater intensity. It is found in several locations around the world, including Australia, Mexico, and Ethiopia.
The Crystal Opal is considered one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing opals in the world. It is renowned for its incredible play-of-color, a phenomenon where vibrant flashes of spectral colors dance within the stone. This opal type is admired for its translucent to transparent body, which allows light to penetrate and enhance its vibrant hues.

Play-of-Color: Intense and vibrant spectral colors

Transparency: Translucent to transparent body

Origin: Naturally occurring opal

Gemstone Type: Precious Opal

Color Range: Variable and stunning color combinations
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11
votes
The Boulder Opal

This opal is formed within ironstone boulders, which give it a more earthy appearance. It is found exclusively in Queensland, Australia.
The Boulder Opal is a stunning variety of opal that is found in Queensland, Australia. It is known for its remarkable play-of-color, which is caused by diffraction of light as it passes through microscopic silica spheres within the stone. The unique patterns and vibrant hues displayed by boulder opals make them highly sought after by both collectors and gem enthusiasts.

Colors: A wide array of vibrant colors, including blue, green, red, and yellow

Play-of-Color: Beautiful spectral flashes of light

Matrix: Embedded in ironstone matrix

Origin: Found in Queensland, Australia

Size: Can range from small fragments to large, impressive stones
7

7
votes
The Ethiopian Opal

This opal is relatively new to the gemstone market, but it has quickly gained popularity due to its bright colors and intricate patterns. It is found in the Welo province of Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Opal is a stunning gemstone known for its fiery play-of-color. It originates from Ethiopia and stands out for its vibrant and captivating appearance. This opal variety exhibits a wide range of colors, including flashes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, which seem to dance within the stone when observed from different angles.

Origin: Ethiopia

Color: Multicolored, iridescent

Play-of-color: Displays fiery flashes of various hues

Transparency: Translucent to transparent

Mohs hardness: 5.5 - 6.5
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9
votes
The Mexican Fire Opal

This opal is named for its fiery red, orange, and yellow colors, which resemble flames. It is found in Mexico and is often used in high-end jewelry designs.
The Mexican Fire Opal is a stunning gemstone known for its vibrant flashes of orange, red, and yellow colors. It is a variety of opal found primarily in Mexico and is highly prized for its fiery and mesmerizing appearance. The gemstone gets its name from the intense fiery hues it exhibits, which resemble the flickering flames of a fire.

Color: Ranges from orange, red, and yellow with intense flashes of color.

Transparency: Generally transparent to translucent.

Lustre: Vitreous to resinous.

Hardness: 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs scale.

Refractive Index: 1.37-1.52.
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3
votes
The Lightning Ridge Crystal Opal

This opal is another type found in Lightning Ridge, Australia. It is known for its clarity and bright colors, which seem to sparkle like diamonds.
The Lightning Ridge Crystal Opal is considered one of the most beautiful opals in the world. It is a type of opal found in the Lightning Ridge mining area in Australia that exhibits breathtaking play-of-color, creating stunning visual effects.

Origin: Lightning Ridge, Australia

Type: Crystal Opal

Play-of-Color: Vibrant and dynamic color display

Transparency: Transparent to translucent

Body Tone: Light to dark
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7
votes
The Queensland Boulder Opal

Similar to the Boulder Opal, this variety is also found in Queensland, Australia. It is prized for its earthy tones and unique patterns, which make each stone one-of-a-kind.
The Queensland Boulder Opal is an exquisite type of opal that is found in various parts of Queensland, Australia. It is highly regarded for its remarkable play of colors and unique patterns, making it one of the most beautiful opals in the world.

Origin: Queensland, Australia

Colors: Wide range including blues, greens, purples, and oranges

Patterns: Intricate patterns including mosaics, stripes, and harlequin

Transparency: Translucent to opaque

Durability: Relatively strong, with a Mohs hardness rating of 5.5-6

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Ranking factors for beautiful Opal

Clarity or Transparency

Opals can range from transparent to opaque, with some level of cloudiness in between. Transparent opals with a clear play of color are generally more valuable and sought-after than those with a milky or cloudy appearance.
Cut and Shape

A well-cut and symmetrical opal can showcase its play of color better, making it more attractive. Unusual or unique shapes can also add to the appeal and value of an opal.
Size

Larger opals tend to be more valuable than smaller ones because they display a more expansive play of color. However, an opal with excellent play of color, pattern, and clarity can still be highly valuable even if it is relatively small.
Carat Weight

The weight of an opal is measured in carats, with one carat equal to 0.2 grams. Heavier opals are generally more valuable, but other factors, such as color and pattern, play a more significant role in determining an opal's overall beauty and value.
Inclusion and Natural Blemishes

While inclusions and blemishes are not desirable, a small number of them may not significantly impact the beauty and value of an opal. However, larger or more noticeable inclusions can detract from the opal's overall appearance and reduce its value.
Origin

While the beauty of an individual opal is not determined by its origin, some locations are known for producing high-quality opals with distinct characteristics. For instance, Australian opals are highly valued because of their vibrant colors and stunning patterns. The origin of an opal may affect its desirability and value among collectors.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most beautiful Opal. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or Opal is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1401 views
188 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each Opal once every 24 hours. The rank of each Opal is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

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More information on most beautiful opal

Opals are one of the most unique and stunning gemstones in the world. The name opal comes from the Greek word "opallos," which means "to see a change in color." This is because opals are known for their mesmerizing play of colors, which can shift and change depending on the angle and direction of light. Opals are formed from silica gel that has been deposited in cracks and crevices of rocks. Over time, the silica gel hardens and forms a solid stone, with the unique patterns and colors of opals being the result of the way the silica particles are arranged within the stone. There are many different types of opals, including white, black, fire, and boulder opals, each with their own unique characteristics and beauty. When it comes to determining the most beautiful opal, it really comes down to personal taste and preference. Some may prefer the intense color play of a fire opal, while others may be drawn to the subtle hues of a white opal. No matter which type of opal you prefer, one thing is certain – each one is truly a work of art from nature.