Loose Black Opal Stones
Every stone on this page is a solid Lightning Ridge black opal, cut, polished, and ready to drop into a setting. This is the page for jewelers and designers and anyone who’d rather build a piece around the opal than buy something already made. No mounts, no claws, no settings. Just the gem.
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3.06ct Black Opal Green Blue
AU$3,126
0.5ct Black Opal – Neon Red Rainbow Fire
Original price was: AU$4,050.AU$2,842Current price is: AU$2,842.
Solid, not doublet, not triplet
A doublet is a thin slice of opal glued to a dark backing. A triplet adds a clear cap on top. Both can look bright in a listing photo. The glue line is vulnerable to water and heat. The thin opal layer can’t be reshaped if your jeweler wants to adjust the cut . A solid is opal all the way through. Set it with confidence and it will outlast the setting.
Everything here is untreated. Nothing smoked. Nothing dyed. Nothing filled with resin. What you see is what the ground gave up.
How we choose what makes it onto this page
We don’t grade by chart. Licensed gem labs don’t, neither do we. Yuka has been at this since 2012, working alongside Lightning Ridge cutters and miners, and the eye for what’s worth selling comes from handling thousands of stones, not from a numbered code. What we’re looking for is fire that stays bright when you turn the stone in normal light. Color that holds across the face instead of dying in patches. A pattern that’s actually doing something. A stone with one bright flash and dead ground around it doesn’t make the cut. A stone with electric color from every angle does, regardless of how big or small it is.
Picking an opal for a ring or a pendant
Oval and teardrop shapes drop into standard ring mounts without fuss. For a pendant you’ve got more freedom. Freeform shapes and larger stones come into their own once they’re not fighting for finger space, and a flatter back is fine because nothing’s going to land on it. If you want matched stones for earrings, buy them as a pair. Two singles bought separately won’t match. Pair color comes from the same piece of rough or it doesn’t come at all.
Every listing shows real dimensions and weight. Message us to talk through whether a particular stone suits a particular design.
For trade and bulk buyers
If you’re setting for a client, we can send dimensions, dome height and any setting notes straight to your jeweler. Payment plans with no interest on anything over a thousand US dollars, twenty five percent down, four weeks to settle.
Loose Black Opal Stones FAQs
Are these opals ready to set straight away?
Yes. Every opal is fully cut and polished. Send your jeweler the dimensions and they can work to it.
How do I pick the right opal for a ring versus a pendant?
For a claw style ring, choose a thicker opal with a higher dome. For bezel rings you need to look for flatter ‘seam’ opal where the edges can be rolled over by the bezel. For a pendant you have more freedom on shape, size and dome because the back isn’t going to take impact; always take note of the orientation of color to the eye when looking down on the opal, as pendants are always viewed looking down on an angle to the chest area. Tell us the brief and we’ll point you at the best opals that suit.
Can my own jeweler set this?
Any competent jeweler can set a solid Lightning Ridge black opal, however its always good to find one with prior experience in setting opals. We’re happy to send dimensions, dome height and setting notes straight to them if it helps. We can also recommend a good jeweler that we know in most areas of the world if you let us know where you are located.
What if you don't have what I'm looking for on the page right now?
Tell us what you’re after. Size range, dominant color, shape, budget. Our cutters and miners in Lightning Ridge see new material constantly and we can hold something for you when it surfaces.
Does every loose stone come with a certificate?
By request, we can provide an Opal Galaxy digital certificate with any purchase. The certificate names origin and confirming the stone is natural, solid, untreated, and from Lightning Ridge.
Do you offer payment plans on loose stones?
On anything over a thousand US dollars, yes. No interest. Twenty five percent deposit, balance over four weeks via PayPal.