Australian Opals: Types, Colours & Where They're Found
Date Posted:4 January 2022
Few gemstones capture Australia's landscape quite like opal. Famous for flashes of blue, green, red, gold and violet, Australian opal has become one of the country's most recognisable natural treasures.
Opal was officially proclaimed Australia's national gemstone on 23 July 1993. Australia is also the world's leading source of precious opal.
Opal is made from hydrated silica — silica that contains water. Unlike gemstones with a regular crystal structure, opal is amorphous and consists of microscopic silica particles.
In precious opal, these tiny particles are arranged in a way that interacts with light. White light can be separated into different colours, creating the shifting rainbow appearance for which opal is famous.
Not every opal displays this colourful optical effect. Opal showing spectral flashes is known as precious opal.
It's Called Play-of-Colour
Precious opal can appear to flash different colours as the stone, light source or viewer moves.
This isn't simply coloured pigment inside the stone. The microscopic structure of precious opal interacts with light and separates it into different wavelengths.
Depending on the individual opal, you might see flashes of blue, green, yellow, orange, red and violet — sometimes several colours at once.
Australia's opal fields produce several distinctive varieties. Their appearance depends on body tone, transparency and the surrounding material in which the opal formed.
Black Opal
Black opal has a dark body tone that creates dramatic contrast behind its flashes of colour. Lightning Ridge in New South Wales is internationally famous for black opal.
Famous: Lightning Ridge, NSWWhite or Light Opal
White opal has a pale or milky body colour with play-of-colour appearing across a lighter background. Coober Pedy is one of Australia's best-known producing areas.
Famous: Coober Pedy, SACrystal Opal
Crystal opal is transparent to semi-transparent and can show colour from within the stone, sometimes producing remarkable depth and brightness.
Transparent to semi-transparentBoulder Opal
Boulder opal occurs as precious opal attached to its natural ironstone host rock and is particularly associated with western Queensland.
Famous: Western QueenslandAustralia's major opal fields stretch across inland New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.
Lightning Ridge
Lightning Ridge is internationally famous for black opal, while White Cliffs is another historic New South Wales opal-producing area.
Coober Pedy & Andamooka
South Australia is one of the world's great opal-producing regions. Coober Pedy is particularly well known for light and white opal.
Boulder Opal Country
Western Queensland is renowned for boulder opal, including important areas around Quilpie, Yowah and Winton.
Opalised Fossils
Australia is remarkable not just for gem-quality opal, but also for opalised fossils. Fossilised shells, plants and ancient animal remains have been discovered where opal has replaced or filled parts of the original material.
Take a Little Australian Opal Home
Opal makes a distinctive Australian souvenir because it combines one of Australia's best-known gemstones with classic Australian icons and designs.
This Australian-made kangaroo necklace is one of the opal products currently available through Souvenirs Australia.
View Kangaroo Opal Necklace →Australia has an extraordinary connection with opal. The country's vast inland opal fields became major sources of precious opal, helping Australia become internationally recognised for the gemstone.
On 23 July 1993, opal was officially proclaimed Australia's national gemstone.
Today it remains closely associated with Australia's outback landscapes, mining towns and natural geological heritage.
You don't need to buy a large gemstone to take home something featuring Australian opal. Our current range includes practical keepsakes and jewellery featuring classic Australian designs.
Australian Opal Map Keyring
An Australia map and kangaroo design featuring Australian opal.
View product →
Kangaroo Opal Necklace
An Australian-made necklace featuring a kangaroo and Australian opal.
View product →Handle Genuine Opal Carefully
Opal contains water and should be protected from strong impacts and sudden extreme temperature changes. Follow any specific care instructions supplied with your opal item or jewellery.
Is opal Australia's national gemstone?
Yes. Opal was officially proclaimed Australia's national gemstone on 23 July 1993.
Where is black opal found in Australia?
Lightning Ridge in north-western New South Wales is Australia's most famous source of black opal.
Where is boulder opal found?
Boulder opal is strongly associated with western Queensland, including areas around Quilpie, Yowah and Winton.
Why does opal show different colours?
The microscopic structure of precious opal interacts with white light and separates it into different wavelengths. As the viewing angle changes, different colours can become visible.
Does all opal show rainbow colours?
No. Precious opal displays play-of-colour, while other forms of opal may not show the same shifting spectral colours.
What is the difference between black and white opal?
The main difference is body tone. Black opal has a darker background behind its play-of-colour, while white or light opal has a pale or milky background.
Is Australian opal a good souvenir?
Australian opal has a strong connection with the country's geology, mining history and national identity, making it a distinctive Australian keepsake or gift.
Take Home a Piece of Australia's Opal Story
From Lightning Ridge black opal to Queensland boulder opal, this remarkable gemstone is part of Australia's natural heritage. Browse our current Australian opal gifts and keepsakes online.
Shop Australian Opal Gifts →
