Unique Design Traits

This Australian black opal displays a dizzying array of colors and has a striking cool and warm play-of-color.

Black opals from Lightning Ridge, Australia are widely considered the most valuable opals in the world. 

It is flanked with pear-shaped mandarin garnets, which helps bring out the warmer toned play of color in the opal; which are often deemed more rare and valuable.

The center opals cool blue and green play-of-color is enhanced by a Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline halo and bright diamond halo.

All perfectly crafted in platinum with bold design details like double claw prongs.

Winner of the 2024 JCK Jewelers' Choice Awards, 2nd Place - Best Statement Piece

Gemstone Details

Opal

The highly prized Australian opal is one of nature’s true works of art. Recognized as the premiere source, the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales produces a very finite supply of this phenomenal stone and no two opals are exactly alike. Each masterpiece is a complex palette of colors in blue, green, orange, yellow and/or red. As you move the opal around in the light, flashes of color are revealed in the depths of the gem. 

Black opal is the most valuable variety of opal and is distinguished by its black or dark ‘body tone’ which allows for the opal’s brilliant and vivid play-of-color. Of all black opals, those with red tones and patterns in the play-of-color will command the highest premium. Not all opals display play-of-color, and they are referred to as common opal. Opal is formed by silica and water over thousands of years. Spheres of silica stack in a regular order, and this internal structure diffracts light so play-of-color can be seen. 

Opal is the birthstone for the month of October and the 14^th anniversary gift.

Garnet

The garnet family of gemstones is scientifically classified as a "group," meaning that although the gems share the same atomic or crystal structure, they differ in their chemical makeup. For this reason, varieties of garnet will display certain distinct properties. Rarity of specific varieties within the group dramatically increases value compared to other garnets, such as demantoid, spessartine and tsavorite.

Garnet is the birthstone for January and the gift for the second wedding anniversary.

Paraíba Tourmaline

Neon blue copper-bearing tourmaline was discovered in the hills of the Brazilian state of Paraíba, in the late 1980's. Various gemological laboratories performed testing on the new material and discovered that it was a natural elbaite tourmaline. Elbaite is generally achromatic, which means the crystals are colorless unless there are trace elements present in the chemical formula. In the case of Paraíba tourmaline, the crystals contain trace amounts of copper, which give the gemstones their unique and vibrant color and the reference of cuprian, which stands for copper-bearing. This variety of tourmaline was officially named "Paraíba tourmaline" after the state in Brazil in which it was discovered.

Their rarity is unmatched, as there is only one Paraíba tourmaline mined in Brazil for every 10,000 diamonds, and a fine quality Paraíba over three carats is virtually unheard of. A point to keep in mind is that copper bearing tourmalines have been mined in Mozambique, Nigeria and other localities, however, they are referred to as Paraíba-type tourmalines, because a true Paraíba tourmaline can only come from Brazil, making it all the more rare.

Color is perhaps the most important variable when comparing these stones, all other things being equal. Inclusions are to be expected and forgiven when judging fine stones, as long as saturation of color and brightness remain strong. Nearly every other shade of tourmaline is found in Brazil, however none has the vivid glow that distinguishes the Paraíba tourmaline. Colors ranging from bright turquoise to majestic blue-green to “windex” blue, it’s the incandescent glow that appears to light up the stone from within that makes Paraíba tourmalines incomparable to any other gemstone.

Tourmaline is the birthstone for October and the gift for the eighth wedding anniversary.

Design Details

Opal, Mandarin Garnet, Paraíba Tourmaline & Diamond 3-Stone Ring
Platinum, Size 7
1 Opal Oval 3.80 ct. (11.65X9.02X5.7MM) - Natural, Australia
2 Mandarin Garnet Pear-Shape 1.67 ctw. (6.1X4.7X3.7MM) - Natural, Tanzania
26 Paraíba Tourmaline Round 0.30 ctw. - Heated, Brazil
86 Diamond Round 1.02 ctw. - (E-F/VS+)