PICTURE IS ENLARGED 

 Gem type:OPAL

 A hydrophane Opal simply means it is porous enough to readily absorb water, much like a sponge. This property can occasionally cause durability issues that may lead to significant cracking, depending on the porosity of the material and how included it is. In general, it is difficult to predict if this material will crack when immersed, but the potential is certainly higher in hydrophane opals than in nonporous material. In hydrophane opal with a body colour other than white, there is the distinct possibility of artificial coloration, since stones that absorb water also absorb dye.

So what we have here, is a hydrophane Opal, that COULD HAVE been dyed, then must have been immersed in water and cracked due to being dried too quickly. BUT it is still a very interesting specimen. If you take this Opal and immerse it in water and watch it, quite a few things happen. The most obvious changes occur with the cracks and the colours. I will leave you to see for yourself, but it is quite amazing. When completely wet, leave it in the water for a day or so, feel it and try to manipulate it a bit, and with a bit of luck, when you take it out and leave it to dry NATURALLY, you might have moved the cracks to a different position. BELIEVE IT, OR NOT!!

  

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