CATALOGUE

LIGHTNING RIDGE, AUSTRALIA

The Capitol of Black Opal Lightning Ridge (LR) started as a sheep station and evolved into the primary black opal producing fields in the world and is a major producer of black opal on the world market today. The most sought after opal in Lightning Ridge is pitch-black base color with intensive 5-color fire in various patterns. The most valuable LR Black Opal has more red fire, more elaborate/definitive patterns, and has, as a rule of thumb, black base color. Valuations run 5 to 10 times higher than comparable crystal opal.

Generally, LR opal occurs in globs known as knobbies in various forms. Cutting knobbies does not follow the same rules as cutting seam opal from Coober Pedy, White Cliffs, etc. Lucky for us, most knobbies are faced or preworked (rubbed) in some way, hence, making our cutting decisions much easier. A "Rub" is sawed, cut, ground, sanded, etc., but needs shaping, polishing and finishing.

You never know what is inside a knobbie.

• Unlike seam opal
• Asymmetrical globs, knobbie in shape
• Occurs mostly w/green or purple fire
• On black gradations of grey or on a translucent base
• Red fire (not the pinky red of Coober Pedy opal) is seldom left uncut by the miners into finished stones and is sold on the ridge
• Colors tend to be more intense
• Electric greens & blues, red crimson
• Flat mushroom shaped material
• Opal replacement forms i.e., twigs, coral, shells, wood, snails

Angelskins. Click on image for a closer look.

LR961 - Angelskins This is a unique and interesting cutting experience. If you like wild freeform shapes, this material is for you. Lightning Ridge produces these oddly shaped knobbies that seem to form into whatever shape the cracked mud assumes. This picture doesn't show their shapes well, but for a sculptor / carver with the tools, this is pure fun. This lot has crystal and black pieces. $200 each. The opal value alone is worth more. The miners don't value them highly, so they are cheaper.

KLR99-11. Click on image for a closer look.

KLR99-11 Seam Lightning Ridge Opal Bright blue or green seams. Considered as a light base black opal. Easier cutting than knobbies. Parcel shown: 51.5 grams, $295 = excellent value. Other 1 oz. Parcels available from $25 - 75 per oz.

LR99-09-03. Click on image for a closer look.

LR99-09-03 56 grams. A collection of excellent cutting and inlay opoal. Majority is bright, some multicolored, some red. This kind of crystal is undiscovered by inlay artists. $980 ($17.50 per gram).

LRInlay16pergr. Click on image for a closer look.

LRInlay #2. Largely green crystal, just like LR99-03. A steal at $16 per gram or $900 for the lot or other similar parcels.

LRInlay 96gr. Click on image for a closer look.

LRInlay 96 grams $480 (net) discounted from $960. There is more waste; largely the same as in LR99-03, but not as bright. If you are on a budget and have time to do the cleanup, this is for you.

LR18P. Click on image for a closer look.

LR18P 3,150 grams of Lightning Ridge knobbies. $3,100. Good clean fun. As close to "mine run" as you can get. What's in it? No guarantees -- don't know. They are knobbies. Many other parcels like this, but smaller.

LR093. Click on image for a closer look.

LR093 79 grams. Lightning Ridge seam material like KLR-99-11. Solid material = $1,965.

LR99-02 and LR99-03 Two separate lots, 23 grams and 20 grams respectively. ($2,000 and $1,800). This is black (N-2) base with bright green and blue fire. Some orange. Brightness =8-9. This is fine cutting for the price and seldom available because the Ridge miners cut most of the promising opal. Both parcels bought together = $2,850.

LR 937 Lightning Ridge. This opal is small in size, 30-50 pieces per oz. chips really. Base color is dark grey to black; colors are bright and various. It is unusual to get this kind of material; you have to have a specific use for such small pieces. $40 60 per oz. Supply limited.

LR 940 Lightning Ridge. Cute, small lot of translucent jelly, light grey base w/purple fire. $95 per ounce or $3.50 per gram.

LR 1012 Lightning Ridge. Black base (level 3-4 darkness). Cuts green on black stones. Flat, but better then average brightness. $400 per oz / $13.80/gm). 2oz - $700

LR 17 D Lightning Ridge. Black base (darkness 2-3) with grassy green and blue patterns, various sizes, mostly rubbed, higher yield, some jelly. Cuts solids or is great for inlay work. About 2 oz. Price - $25 - $50 per gram.

LR 18 Lightning Ridge. Mixed sizes, base colors, intensity, fire, but green predominant. Partly rubbed. A good cutting parcel for a variety of uses. Price - $200 - $500 per oz.

LR MIXED Lightning Ridge. Mixed inlay - 15B, 18H, 1822, 18F, 016B, 17E Green crystal, mostly grassy pattern, small pieces, 1-2mm thick, clean. Excellent for inlay. Price -$25 per gram.

LR 16 N Lightning Ridge. Unique, botryoidal shaped knobbies. Crystal base with green fire or blue/purple fire in jelly base. Some with metallic green fire. Great for inlay, sculpting or cabbing. Price -$30 - $40 per gram.

LR 16 V Lightning Ridge. Black base (L 4-3) with green fire. Some multicolor, outstanding value. Price -$350 per oz. OR 124 gram parcel $1490.

LR 16 V-L Lightning Ridge. Semi-black base (L1). Bright, red / green, thinnish but nice cutting, some thicker pieces for sculpting. Price - $225 per oz; $8 - $15/gm. 165 gram parcel $1100.

One parcel of smaller pieces, base color is a cross between tan and light clay. Miner calls it black - WE DON'T. 125 gm parcel -$1190.

LR 18 Lightning Ridge. Mixed LR fields. All base colors & shapes, no rough knobbies. A real potpourri as close to mine run as one can get. LR 18V is chunkier and rougher. Price - $25 - $50 per oz. 200 gm parcels $20 - $40 per oz.

LR 7 Lightning Ridge. Mixed LR fields. Base crystal through black, tumbled, mostly green & purple fire. Some small knobbies. More purple than in LR 18 & 18V. $15 - $47 per oz. 25% discount for 5 oz lots.

LR966C Lightning Ridge. Black crystal with large flash pattern, metallic, "liquid flash" and metallic green / blue intense fire. RARE. Balance of lot - $450 per gram

LR VARIOUS Lightning Ridge. Individual Crystal pieces verging on the lightest black (L-1). Most are red predominant. $500 to $7,500 per piece.

"Lucky Dips" Lightning Ridge - This is another Australian term that describes an end-lot, close-out, w/special value pieces that makes the lot an excellent value. 500 - 600 grams (17 - 20 ounces) of small knobbies with guaranteed pieces that make the Lot a high value. Be realistic! Would the miners put a million-dollar stone in a $100 bag of small knobbies? This is why we don t know what's in the knobbies, but would guess that the guaranteed stones are the Lot. Anything else is a bonus (miners do miss things!)

LRC-1 Lightning Ridge. 7.35 gr - $6,570 One rubbed knobby. Light L-1 blackness, red, predominant multicolor, 5 color. 30x35 mm. Thick enough for high dome, minimal waste. Brightness 6-7. Price - $182/ct = great value. With 30% loss price = $227/ ct.

LRC-5 Lightning Ridge. 6.3 gr - $2,275 One rubbed knobby, like above, except lesser quality -still beautiful. Brightness 5-6. $73/ct = great value.

LRC-1 Lightning Ridge. 2.4 gr -$4,800 One rubbed knobby w/liquid crystal fire. Brightness7-8. Broadflash pattern. $400/ct still great value.

LRA-1 Lightning Ridge. 2.9 gr - $6,500 One fully faced knobby. Primarily red multicolor, 5 color, partly harlequin pattern. Brightness 6.5 - 7.5. $450/ct. - good value.

LRC-1.5 Lightning Ridge. 2 gr -$6,200 One sculpted knobby. Prime, flat face is large pattern broadflash, multi-color, 5 color, gorgeous.

LRC-1 Lightning Ridge. 5.3 gr - $2,385 Sculpted single knobby. Brightness 7-7.5. L-1 darkness, 5 color, multi-color rolling pattern, red predominant, medium pattern.

LRA-2 Lightning Ridge. 4.48 gr - $8,140 One piece, clean knobby. 25 x 15 x 8 mm + /-. Thick, delicious brick red fire, multi-color, 4 color, L-2 darkness.

LRA-25 Lightning Ridge. 8.95 gr - $5,370 One knobby like LRA-1 above at $6,500. 7 assorted pieces, but lesser quality, ranging from $490 to $1,140 each. Multi-color, red predominant, etc.

LR99.27XE Lightning Ridge. 25.5 gr -$1,649 Mostly crystal to jelly purple floating flash to green fire. Two black crystal. Mixed parcel, no red, smallish. 20 + /- pcs per ounce

LR99 - 01XE Lighting Ridge. 14.3 gr -$443 Bright green, grass pattern for inlay or cut stones.

LR99-02XE Lightning Ridge. 23 gr - $2,070 In OZ they call it rubbed green on black, black opal some red. Darkness L-3. 25 pcs per ounce. Cuts 10x12, 10x14,8x10 stones. Clean, excellent value.

LR16A-17E-18X Lightning Ridge. 28.6 gr $686. 35 small pieces, excellent inlay crystal, tight pattern.

LR16U Lightning Ridge. 15 gr -$555 Green on black like above, but not as bright. Two pieces of brick red on black.

LR Inlay Lightning Ridge. 15 gr - $340 Green pin to grassy pattern, usually tight, small, bright crystal. 30 pcs. Relatively clean.

LR Inlay Lightning Ridge. 15 gr - $450 Like above, but brighter, bigger.

LR Inlay Lightning Ridge. 15.2 gr - $149 Like above, bigger, not as clean - 10 pcs.

LR Inlay Lightning Ridge. 20 gr - $329 Blue / purple jelly, some green - 30 pcs.

A RUB is a preformed, unfinished stone, ready to be sanded and polished. Base is translucent to opaque in shades of grey through jet black. Fire is mostly blue, purple, green or mixtures of all these. Price varies from $5 to $100 each, with a few individual rubs priced above $100. If you are a cutter who does not dig working with knobbies, these rubs are really for you. The risk is removed and the joy remains in having a fine stone from the Lightning Ridge area. Some of our professional inlay designers use these stones because they get the sizes, similarities and contrasts that they want from these rubs.

Many lapidaries like the simplicity, the time savings (no mysterious knobbies to cut through), the relatively low price and the known outcome. In Lightning Ridge the miners start stones and then decide not to complete them. We have discovered that there is a market for these rubbed preforms (Rubs in OZ). Here are a few examples.

LR Preforms. Click on image for a closer look.

LR Rubs/Preforms. Various lots of smaller stones with varying quality, size, base and fire types. You save money with these parcels vs cut price. Call for details.

LRVR4 Lighting Ridge. 5.7 gr - $285 Assorted colors and based low / medium grade. Some black, crystal. 20 pieces -Avg. size 8x10 .

LRVR-1 (14) Lightning Ridge. Lot = $308 Like above, slightly brighter & darker base. 14 pcs.

LRVR1-14(16) Lightning Ridge. Lot = $576 Like above only bigger and brighter. Great value 14 pcs. at $36 per piece.

LR8-6XD Lightning Ridge. Lot = $1,795 Four higher quality, bright (6), multi-color. One is red / blue on light black. Lots of red. Two green on black (2.5).

LRVR4.2(19) Lightning Ridge. Lot = $3,705 Light based blacks w / green, red, yellow. Some broad flash, Excellent value, 19 @ $195 each. Avg. size 10x14, 10x12

LR99-36C Lightning Ridge. 86.9 gr - $10,200 net. 260 stones avg. size 10x8 -10x12, ready to finish. Mostly green crystal to semi-white. Avg. brightness 6-7. Some black, some red. Few larger, some liquid crystal. Price - $39 per stone or $117 per gram or $23.50/ ct. A BARGAIN!

LR99-10KXC Lightning Ridge. 23 gr - $1,400 Mixture of sizes of light base blacks, but with more red than the parcels above.

LR8-5(11)XD Lightning Ridge. $1,995 11 pieces. Black opals, red predominant, blackness 2-3, avg. brightness 7. One w/butterfly wing pattern, multi-color. EXCELLENT VALUE.

LR967 Lightning Ridge. $150 per gram. Smoky black w/bright (8) green.

LR16N Lightning Ridge. 23 gr - $69 Not as bright as above, but w/some liquid fire and some jelly purple.

LR926 Lightning Ridge. 3.3 gr - $658 3 pcs. blue jelly, floating flash pattern. Some remains.

LR16H Lightning Ridge. 251 gr - $1,750 Large parcel of knobbies with darkness 3 and purple/blue fire. Hard to rate brightness viewing from the edge fire. My guess 6.5-8. Interesting parcel.

For those of you who are avid opal enthusiasts... here's the best news. We have a few remaining pieces from a large parcel of Lightning Ridge BLACK OPAL . It is faced or sculpted and BEAUTIFUL. Prices run from a $100 per carat up to $10,000 per carat field price.

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Check the Cut and Finished Stone section of this Catalogue for the pictures of high class opals the likes of which are rarely seen in the U.S. These special opals are available to you at field prices. If you have an interest please let us know and we'll send the listing. Only we opal lovers really understand and appreciate the very finest. These stones seldom make it to the U.S. because they are purchased on the Lightning Ridge fields and resold in Asia or Europe, but seldom in the US.A. We'd like to change this.