Olympic Australis Explained

The Olympic Australis opal is the largest and most valuable opal yet found ^[1] and was valued at in 1997.^[2] It was found in 1956 at the 'Eight Mile' opal field near the town of Coober Pedy in South Australia.^[3]

The opal was found at a depth of . The Olympic Australis opal was named in honor of the Olympic Games, which were being held in Melbourne in the year of the opal's discovery. It consists of 99% gem opal with an even colour throughout the stone, and has been left in a natural state, unpolished and uncut with blemishes.^[4] Olympic Australis is 280 mm long, 120 mm thick, and 115 mm wide (11 in long, 4.75 in thick, and 4.5 in wide). It weighs 17,000 carats (3450 g/121.7 oz/7.6 lbs)., the opal is kept in Sydney, at the offices of Altmann & Cherny Ltd.^[5]

See also

• List of individual gemstones

Other notable individual opals:

• Andamooka Opal
• Galaxy Opal
• Flame Queen Opal
• Halley's Comet Opal

Notes and References

1. Leechman, F; The opal book, University of California Press, 1961
2. Book: Eckert, Allan W.. The World of Opals. John Wiley & Sons. 1997. 9780471133971. New York. 147.
3. Web site: 2022-07-15 . The World's Most Famous Opal Gemstones Gem-A . 2024-06-28 . en-US.
4. Web site: FAMOUS OPALS . 2024-06-28 . Altmann + Cherny . en-US.
5. Allan W. Eckert; The world of opals John Wiley and Sons, 1997 p100