22 x 14mm kite shaped boulder opal set in 14k yellow gold, accented with a single teardrop diamond dangle.
Ocean colored opal weighs 6.98 carats, diamond weighs 0.08ct. The design is an understated bezel wrapping the stone, detailed with four swimming koi. On top, the koi leap from the pendant to meet and hold the necklace bail, while on the bottom, the koi hold up the diamond bezel dangle. Because of the articulation of these separate pieces, this pendant has a bit of swing and movement to it, showing off the glimmer of the stones.
Turn the pendant over to see the hidden koi cutouts swimming beneath the stone. Hand sculpted by Sarah J Christenson, 2021 It's attached to a 14k chain comprised of long and short links, echoing the shape of the opal. 18" in length, 2mm wide, delicate yet sturdy.
A note about this stone: Boulder opal is comprised of opal material found in small deposits in ironstone. Mining this unique stone requires a sharp eye to seek out the ribbons of rainbow in the desert rock formations. Boulder opal is found primarily in the desert outback of Queensland, Australia, in cracks, crevices and cavities. Silica from dissolved sand trickled down cracks and crevices in ironstone boulders and the silica precipitated out of this solution to form these radiant colors. Generally, the opal is found within boulders which need to be broken open. These are found in clay layers just above the ironstone, and sometimes tons of rock must be hand-processed to find a few precious stones. The stonecutter has to be particularly skilled to showcase the opal material, and there will always be ripples of ironstone featured in each unique piece. (This is a natural feature and although it might sometimes look like a doublet from the side, it is far from it.) Each piece is unique, and the stones we're featuring are all ethically and environmentally conscious mined and cut right in Queensland.
