Jewels & Jadeite Hong Kong Sunday, November 26, 2017 | Phillips

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    • One oval cabochon white opal, approximately 24.50 carats

    • Diamonds in the surround totaling approximately 2.00 carats
      Eight pear-shaped emeralds

    • 18 karat yellow gold

    • Size 6¼

  • Catalogue Essay

    The naturally occurring phenomenon which makes opals so unique is known as 'play-of-colour'. This is when the internal structure of an opal, which is predominantly made up of silica, interacts with light to create visible flashes of colour. The most sought after opals display flashes of all spectral colours with an intensity that covers the entire stone. The background colour is important to value too, as this affects how well the colours contrast and 'play' together. White, black, and crystal opals are known to do this best and so are considered the most valuable of opal colour variations. The white background colour of the present lot sets off the intensity of its play-of-colour of red, orange, yellow, green and blue, and appears evenly distributed throughout the stone. This is particularly impressive given the unusually large size of the opal which is a rarity in itself.

539

An Opal, Emerald and Diamond Ring

Size 6¼

Estimate
HK$70,000 - 90,000 
$9,000-11,500

Sold for HK$87,500

Contact Specialist
Terry Chu
Head of Jewellery, Asia, Senior Director
+852 2318 2038

Jewels & Jadeite

Hong Kong Auction 27 November 2017