Opals are considered the most captivating and beautiful gems amongst all. They are so colorful and display a spectrum of various colors that looks like a miniature rainbow with all those shimmery effects. The opals are mainly sourced from Australia. However, there are other places, such as Ethiopia, Mexico, and Brazil. They also possess many other benefits, such as aiding in emotional healing and growth, and helping people tap into their creative side, among others.
Opals are considered the birthstone of October, and due to this, they are good for the zodiac signs like Libra, Scorpio, and Pisces. People who study Vedic Astrology believe that opals are associated with the Venus planet, which represents luxury, love, charm, creativity, and many other qualities. When it comes to medicine, opals are particularly beneficial for healing eyes and heart-related issues.
In this Blog, we will learn about the most expensive Opals around the world, which are also rare to find. It is a said fact that Australian Opals are the most expensive, and they also possess high value as gems. We are going to learn about the prices and the stories behind these costly and unique opal gemstones. We have also provided the information related to their discoveries.
Top 7 most valuable and expensive Opal Gemstones in the world
Among many types of opals, a few stand out for their rarity, uniqueness, incredible beauty, and extremely high prices. Here, we have listed the top 7 most expensive opal gemstones, describing them along with their fascinating stories and unique origins. Let's explore:
The Flame Queen
The Flame Queen opal is the rarest and most expensive opal gemstone in the world. Due to these qualities, it is the most celebrated and cherished one also. It is sourced from Australia, especially from the Lightning Bridge area of New South Wales.
It has a mesmerizing pattern and an enchanting play of colors. The unique pattern in the Flame Queen is known as the Harlequin Pattern. It has been reported in numerous reputable journals that a record-breaking sale of the Flame Queen was made in 1980. The amount was roughly around $3.4 million as of today. \
Olympic Australis
The Guinness Book of World Records appraises this Olympic Australis Opal as the largest and most valuable opal in the world. This opal gemstone is named after the Olympic Games, which were held in Melbourne in 1956. This year, it was discovered near the town of Coober Pedy, located in South Australia. The Olympic Australis Opal was discovered at a depth of 30 feet, which is 9.1 metres. The look of this Opal gemstone has a white background colour with many plays of color. The price of this gemstone was approximately $2.5 million in 1997, which is why it appears on the list of the most expensive opals.
Virgin Rainbow Opal
The virgin rainbow opal is one of the most fascinating opals in existence. It is a pipe-shaped precious opal that measures 2.5 inches in length and features a mesmerizing play of color throughout the stone. This opal gemstone was discovered in the three-mile-long fields in Coober Pedy in Australia in 2003. This is one of the most expensive gemstones because its worth is roughly $1 million. Johnny Dunstan discovered it, and its weight is around 72.65 carats. There is an interesting fact about the virgin rainbow opal: it was formed inside the skeleton of a Belemnite fossil. It is the ancestor of the present-day cuttlefish.
Halley's Comet Opal
Halley's Comet Opal is one of the most expensive opals, as it was priced at $1.2 million in 2005. It is one of the most magnificent opals ever discovered in the history of opals. Some of the journals stated that this beautiful opal is named after Haley's Comet because it was discovered in the same year Haley's Comet made an appearance, which was in 1910. This rare opal has a rare pattern that resembles the tail of a comet. The weight of this opal gemstone is approximately 198 carats, and it was discovered in the White Cliffs region of New South Wales, Australia.
Pride of Australia/ Red Emperor
It is one of the most expensive types of opal, which costs around $1.9 million in 2024. This beautiful opal gemstone was discovered by Tom Urwina and Snowy Brown in the year 1915. The Pride of Australia, also known as the Red Emperor, was formed in Lightning Ridge, Australia, and weighs approximately 225 carats. The shape of this opal gemstone resembles the continent of Australia, and it has brilliant streaks of red with blue and black veins. This stone is double-sided, meaning it has two distinct color bars; the color on the back is comparatively lighter than that on the front.
Aurora Australis Opal
These opal gemstones feature a very impressive pattern, comprising beautiful flashes of all the spectral colors, with a dominance of red, green, and blue. This deserves to be in the list of the most expensive opals because it costs around $1 million. The Aurora Australis Opal was discovered by Charlie Dunstan in 1938 in the area of Lightning Ridge, Australia. According to some renowned journals, this gemstone weighs approximately 180 carats and features a starfish pattern on its back. It was purchased by "Altmann and Cherny" in a semi-rough state, and they polished it later on in an oval shape.
Sea of Opal
As of 2024, it is the world's largest black opal, as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records. Its weight is around 11340.95 carats. It features a magnificent blue patch that resembles a swimming fish, and the green sparkles resemble seaweed when viewed in daylight or bright light. The renowned opal carver, Christine Rousel, carved this beautiful opal gemstone. It was cut and contour-polished by him to accentuate its natural beauty. It is one of the most expensive opals because it cost around $1.5 million in 2015 at an auction.
