HPJ REF. POINT: WORLD CLASS MUSEUM GRADE BIG 4.88 CARAT TSEHAY MEWCHA ETHIOPIAN OPAL

 Reference Point

FROM HPJ THIS WEEKEND TWO EXTRAORDINARY ETHIOPIAN OPALS FROM THE OLD MINE AT TSEHAY MEWCHA.

BOTH WELL OVER 4 CARATS, AND BOTH, AS  I SAID ABOVE, ‘EXTRAORDINARY...’

MUSEUM GRADE 4.88 CARAT TSEHAY MEWCHA OPAL

TRANSLUCENT BLUE MIST BODY TONE WITH 360 DEGREE 3D NEON COLOURPLAY WITH MAGNIFICENT VIOLET AND NEON GREEN SPLASHES ALL OVER THE STONE.

IMAGES TAKEN UNDER SPECIALIST OPAL LIGHTING

GEM TYPE: ETHIOPIAN OPAL

CARAT WEIGHT: 4.88 CARATS

BRIGHTNESS: 5

CUT: OVAL CABOCHON

ORIGIN: TSEHAY MEWCHA, ETHIOPIA

TREATMENTS: NONE

The Welo (Ethiopian) Opal has taken the International Gem World by storm. All of our Opals originate from the old mine at Tsehay Mewcha – noted for strong vivid colour and stabilty.

This major Ethiopian Opal find was in 2008 in Welo (Wollo) Province in Northern Ethiopia, about 550 km north of Addis Ababa. Local farmers discovered some high quality Opal near Wegel Tena close to the top of a plateau at 3,500 meters altitude. Much of the Opal has a white body color with an extremely vivid play of color.

Mining at Tsehay Mewcha is a highly hazardous occupation indeed, and fatal accidents are very numerous (out of one thousand miners, 80 died in one year) mainly caused by collapsing rocks or falls from the soaring cliffs !

The prices on the International gem markets for quality Ethiopian Opal is spiralling upwards at a rate rarely seen in the gemstone world. It is without question a strictly limited resource, and this factor drives the demand, which shows no sign of abating.

HPJ - THE RARE & THE BEAUTIFUL...