Wood Fossil Opals
One unique particular type of opal that is always well sort after in the gemstone market, particularly by collectors is Wood Fossil opal. The wood and vegetation formed inside of precious opal can look strikingly beautiful, and always unique.
How are Wood Fossil Opals formed?
Sometimes, miners discover wood fossil opals featuring fossilized wood encased within the opal, although they are rare. This unique phenomenon occurs when opal forms around wood, preserving it within the gemstone. Wood fossil opals are commonly found in boulder opals, especially in mining territories with catchments like creeks and river beds. Lightning Ridge and Coober Pedy, among other opal mining regions, frequently yield these specimens, often containing tree roots or vegetation where silica seepage formed precious opal. Occasionally, miners stumble upon large pockets where wood and vegetation have collected, with opal forming among them.

This opal formation, known as ‘Forest Floor,’ occurs when a catchment area, like a tree trunk or corner pocket in a creek, accumulates vegetation such as sticks and leaves. Opal then formed around this in this particular pocket. This is a rare occurrence to have both of these instances of vegetation catchment and opal formation happen in the same place.
Wood Fossil Boulder Opals
As previously stated, the most common type of opal found with wood or vegetation inside of them is Boulder Opals. It is very rare to come across in Lightning Ridge opals; so much so that we do not even have any available for sale. We have only ever had 2 Wood Fossil opals from Lightning Ridge available for sale, both of which have sold.
There have been large deposits of Wood Fossil and Vegetation Fossil opals discovered in all of the Boulder Opal mining regions of Queensland. These include Yowah, Koroit, Eromangah, Quilpie and most famously Winton. All are unique and sometimes easily distinguishable to someone familiar with opals in the industry.

Wood Fossil Boulder Opal is like any other Boulder Opal in that they can hold an array of colours. Most often blue or purple will be present in these opals as this is the most common and first colour formation that occurs in opals. If you are lucky to find some however, you can discover high brightness opals with wood or vegetation formations inside of them such as below. Sometimes if you are lucky enough you may even find some rainbow opal formed around wood.
More often then not there is still the presence of ironstone in these boulder opals. This also makes them ideal for use as pendants in either in high end jewelry settings with use of precious metals such as gold, silver or platinum, or in alternative pendant designs with simple adjustable rope or leather necklace. You can shop our range of Wood Fossil Boulder Opal Pendants here: https://opalgalaxy.com/wood-fossil-boulder-opal-pendant/

Available Wood Fossil Opals
Rainbow Wood Fossil Queensland Boulder Opal 15.9 ct
Rainbow Wood Fossil Winton Boulder Opal Pendant 124 ct
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