Opal has been a unique and treasured gem-stone for all of recorded history. And Australia has been the only commercially significant source for white opal with its spectral fire. Until now. In the last twenty years since it first appeared as a curiosity, opal from Ethiopia has taken the gem world by storm. The earliest record I could find of someone outside Ethiopia becoming aware of its opal was Telahun “Tel” Yohannes.

Yohannes, a US citizen and graduate of Col-orado school of mines was visiting his relative and homeland in 1993 when he visited a local geologist, and noticed a nodule of what looked like opal cracked open and sitting in his friend’s conference room. The geologist offered it to Yo-hannes as a gift and he brought it back with him to the United States for further study. His story is recounted in the Colorado School of Mines publication from Spring 2003.

The broader gem world really became aware of the new discovery in 2003 when the material appeared for sale first in the France Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines gem show, and then at Tucson. Since then production has increased dra-matically. Ethiopian opal was given a real boost in the jewelry world in 2008 when opal from the Welo Province (also known as Wollo and Wello) burst on the market. The new material was more stable and less prone to cracking and crazing. That made it attractive to jewelers interested in durability and the wearability of their creations.

Welo opal is mined from a seam of rhyolitic ignimbrite roughly one meter thick that extends for hundreds of meters along the side of a canyon. At this time, mining is taking place just a few meters into the canyon wall by arti-sanal miners. It is believed that the deposit extends far beyond what is currently

being mined. Since the same seam has been located in other nearby locations, it is likely that there will be continued supply as the production becomes more mechanized.

Since opal from Ethiopia is still a relative newcomer, its exact position in the market is still being determined. At this time it is selling for significantly less than opal from Australia, but only time will tell if that premium is maintained. It may also be that specific patterns of Ethiopian opal will command premium prices (or nearby lo-calities yet to be discovered.) The Welo opals are already selling at a premium over other Ethiopian material because of their increased stability. And there have been some unusual patterns and colors of opal that are commanding high prices when sold to collectors.

Much of the new opal from the Welo province has a light yellow to orange body color reminiscent of fire opal from Mexico. Welo opals also are likely to exhibit a phenomenon known as Hydrophane Opal. Hydrophane is used to describe opals that can absorb water – usu-ally enough to change their weight and how they appear. Drying out is usually a matter of hours, but sometimes days or even weeks depending on size, ability to absorb water, and how long they were immersed in the water. When dry they will return to their original weight and appearance. In the day to day wear of jewelry the opals aren’t usually immersed long enough for this property to be noticed, but it is very noticeable during cut-ting of the rough. When cutting Welo rough, we typically rotate through several stones to allow them to dry out and be viewed as they will appear when worn.

Opal is a fragile gem compared to some others like topaz or sapphire so it is best to wear as pendant, earrings or a special occasion ring. Since Welo opal is likely hydrophane it would be important to avoid contact with liquids that could dye it and change the color.

Veberod BulletinNovember 2017

Welo OpalNew kid on the block making a name for itself

Veberod Gem Gallery13019 Ridgedale DriveMinnetonka, MN952-595-8338www.vgems.net

18KT Gold and Silver earrings with Welo Opals and 0.10ctw dia $1350

14KT two tone ring with 3.17ct Welo Opal $1850

2.75ct Welo Opal in 14KT Gold and Silver Ring $690

3.23ct Welo Opal in 18&22KT Pendant $1450

Saturday December 9 from 10-5, come make custom pendants and earrings as gifts using our tools and with our help!

Free co� ee and snacks!

All ages welcome with supervision. No experience necessary.

Invite your friends and family - we get lots of positive feedback every year

from new customers!

Help us support Heifer International !!For every piece of jewelry purchased out of the case December 1-15 we will donate 20 percent. Details available in store. Qualifying purchases include a certi� cate explaining how the gift kept on giving. Examples shown below.

Live music!Enjoy shopping and creating jewelry as the Travis Anderson jazz trio livens things up.

11AM-4PM December 9.

Christmas Party

Buy this hammered spinel ring for $750 and we’ll donate and alpaca ($150)

Purchase this opaque diamond ring for $1250 and somebody gets a WATER BUFFALO!!!