You’ve seen the opalescent glow gleaming from a shiny opal gemstone. Opals beautifully adorn antique rings and jewelry, but have you ever seen rough Australian opal?

Uncut, or rough opal is available in many forms. When you buy loose opals, what you see is the final product after cutting, shaping and polishing. Conversely, uncut opal is a rough specimen taken straight from an opal mine. When you hold a rough opal in your hand, you’re holding a piece of the earth in its most natural form. That is, if it’s small enough to fit in your hand. Rough opals can weigh up to hundreds of thousands of carats!