An opal featuring a rare six-rayed star is examined in GIA's Bangkok lab.

Observing a water drop’s interaction with opal, as well as refractive index, can confirm a specimen’s hydrophane nature with less risk of breakage than total immersion.

Opals with an unusual purple bodycolor and strong play-of-color have recently appeared in the market.

A new opal deposit was discovered in 2008 near the village of Wegel Tena, in volcanic rocks of Ethiopia’s Wollo Province.

Opal occurs as nodules in volcanic rocks at a new gem opal locality in the Menz Gishe district of Shewa Province, Ethiopia.

After almost 75 years of inactivity, the deposits of boulder opal in Queensland, Australia, began to attract new interest in the 1960s and 1970s.