naturalist

Precious opal from Wegel Tena deposit, 200km north of Mezezo and 550km north of Addis Abba, Ethiopia faceted to display hues of brilliant diffracted colors. Perhaps the most unusual feature of the material is its hydrophane (water absorbing) character. When soaked in water, many of the stones become transparent. However, the phenomena is completely is reversible and repeatable and all the color will return upon drying although drying may take a few days. The absorption of water is related to the opal's porosity and as a result, the specific gravity and weights of the gems may vary by as much as 10% upon immersion in water.