539
An Opal, Emerald and Diamond Ring
- Estimate
- HK$70,000 - 90,000€7,600 - 9,800$9,000 - 11,500
HK$87,500
Lot Details
One oval cabochon white opal, approximately 24.50 caratsDiamonds in the surround totaling approximately 2.00 carats
Eight pear-shaped emeralds18 karat yellow gold
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
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.