2015 was the year that Opal was once again thrown into the global spotlight. With so many of the worlds leading Jewelers using this gemstone in their pieces it is not wonder that Opal was so popular this year.

While the biggest and most expensive Opal sold on Opal Auctions in 2015 was a Black Opal, the majority of stones sold were Ethiopian Opals. Over the years we have become the biggest and most trusted source of Opal on the internet and that is reflected by the fact that we had 3 sales over $30,000 in value for 2015. That’s an amazing result and we are so proud to be able to provide such a unique and trsuted marketplace to our customers.

Everyone at Opal Auctions would like to say thank you to everyone who purchased a stone or a piece of Jewelery over the past year. We sent parcels to 84 countries to people who all speak different languages but we are share the same respect for beautiful Opal.

Let’s take a look at 10 of the best Opals sold during 2015. There were so many to choose from, narrowing it down to just 10 was tricky.

Black Opal

What a year for Black Opal. This beautiful piece weighs 10.20cts and was sold to a collector in the USA. This is a true Black Opal with bright colors, great pattern and of course that black back that has made this Opal famous.

This Opal is big, weighing in at 9.90cts and has a beautiful blue green pattern. This Opal found a new home after only being listed for a few days.

One of the highlights of the year was this stunning 11.10cts “red on black”. Incredible red color and it sold for more than $3000 / ct!

Ethiopian Opal

This year we saw a few naturally occurring dark black Ethiopian Opals. After some testing by the GIA it was discovered that these stones do exist in this natural form. This stone weighs 23.30cts and has avery unique snake skin pattern.

For something completely different, this huge 59cts Ethiopian Opal actually has facets along the top of the stone. This made for a very unique and special stone that was quickly sold.

Another huge Ethiopian Opal, this one weighs in at 69.35cts. The pattern is very unique and is referred to as a Chaff pattern.

30cts of dark Ethiopian Opal is something that every collector would like to have. This stone sold for a record price and has to be one of the most unique Opals ever discovered.

Harlequin pattern is something you see mainly in Black Opal, but this Ethiopian Opal was blessed with the pattern. Harlequin pattern is by far the most expensive pattern so this Opal sold for a very high price.

Boulder Opal

Boulder Opal can have the most amazing colors. Bright red and greens which really dance on the stone. This 9.40cts stone came from Quilpie in Australia and is one of the finest examples of a good quality Boulder Opal you will ever see.

Another Boulder Opal made the list this year, a long slender 6.40cts Opal with incredible color. This stone came from Jundah.

Crystal Opal

Crystal Opal is one of the most unique Opals. It can be transparent when held up top the light but when light is reflected off the surface it comes alive. This 85.50cts stone that is full of color was one of the most expensive crystal Opals we have ever sold.

Once again, everyone here at Opal Auctions would like to say thank you to all the Opal lovers around the world who have made our site the biggest and best Opal site on the Internet. 2016 is fast approaching and we can’t wait to see what new Opals are discovered.

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