Louisiana Opal

Louisiana Opal is fast becoming a rare find. The "Hidden Fire Opal Mine" was only in operation from 1989 to 1993. The mining operation was owned and conducted by Keith Griffin. The material mined during that time period is all that is to be had. The supply is now very limited.

Louisiana Opal is truly a unique stone. The opal was created by cemented quartz sand. The quartzite formation makes for a hard stone. The base color of the stone is varied. The difference in color occurs from exposure to various agents during its formation. Limonite and hematite were common in the mining area. Limonite (iron rust) gave the stone a brown color. Stones with darker hues (blue/black) were colored by hematite. The absence of these minerals resulted in white/gray material.

What really makes this stone interesting is when you hold it up to the light you can actually see grains of sand. Another note of interest is when the stone gets wet, the sand absorbs water and the opal fire can no longer be seen. Once the stone dries, the fire can be seen again.

Unfortunately, the camera was unable to capture the real fire in these stones. They are truly breathtaking.

Click on the thumbnail for an expanded view.

Lavender glow with minute flashes of aqua. This is a 39 ct stone wrapped in 14kt gold- filled wire. The pendant is 1-1/8" x 1-1/2". LAOP 206 - $345.00

Brilliant purple, blue and green flash, depending on how the light is hitting it. This stone is 28.5 cts and is wrapped in 14kt gold-filled wire. It is really a show stopper!!! The pendant measures 1-3/4" x 2". LAOP 207 - SOLD

This is a sweet one. It has a dark purple, blue and green flash. It is 23 cts in weight and the pendant measures 7/8" x 2-1/4". It is also wrapped in 14kt gold-filled wire. LAOP 117 - SOLD