• Australian Boulder solid Opal in 18 karat gold pendant
  • Australian Boulder solid Opal in 18 karat gold pendant
  • Australian Boulder solid Opal in 18 karat gold pendant
1 3

Rocks On The Rocks

Boulder Opal Pendant – 18K Gold, Dark Body, Flash of Colour, Diamond Accent

Boulder Opal Pendant – 18K Gold, Dark Body, Flash of Colour, Diamond Accent

$1,350.00 AUD
$1,350.00 AUD
Sale Sold out
Taxes included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

A compact but vivid stone — this 12×6mm Queensland boulder opal sits in an 18K yellow gold bezel with a small diamond accent set above it. The stone carries a dark body that deepens the colour, and the flash shifts as the pendant moves: bright and immediate, the kind of colour that catches you before you've had a chance to look for it. The bezel wraps the opal cleanly with no prongs to snag, and the 18K gold-plated chain keeps the overall look warm and consistent. One stone, one setting, made once.

About Boulder Opal

Boulder opal forms as veins of precious opal within ironstone matrix in the opal fields of Queensland — primarily Quilpie, Yowah and Winton. Unlike black opal from Lightning Ridge, the opal cannot be separated from its host rock; it's cut as a single solid piece, with the natural brown ironstone remaining as the stone's backing. This gives boulder opal its distinctive look — vivid colour against rich earth tones — and also makes it physically more durable than other opals, since the ironstone host is harder than the opal layer it carries.

Specifications

  • Stone: Boulder Opal (solid, natural)
  • Dimensions: 12×6 mm
  • Colour Play: Bright/vivid — strong colour
  • Body Tone: Dark
  • Pattern: Flash of colour
  • Setting: Bezel — 18K yellow gold; small diamond accent set above the opal
  • Chain: 18K yellow gold-plated, 45 cm
  • Origin: Queensland, Australia
  • Availability: One-of-a-kind — 1 piece available

Caring for Your Opal

Opal is softer than diamond or sapphire, so a little care goes a long way. See Opal Care for storage, cleaning, and what to avoid.

Provenance

Hand-selected by Joseph Bernecki, sourced direct from the Australian opal fields and set in his Sydney workshop. Meet him any weekend at The Rocks Market, stall under the bridge, Sydney. Read Joseph's story →

Common Questions

What is a flash of colour pattern?
Flash of colour means the opal's colour appears as a single strong sweep or strike rather than scattered pinpoints. As the stone moves, the colour seems to switch on and off — you get a vivid hit of colour from one angle, and then it shifts as you change your view. On a dark-body stone like this boulder opal, that flash reads with real intensity against the deep background.
How is a dark body tone different from black opal?
Boulder opals aren't graded the same way as Lightning Ridge black opals, but this stone's background sits in the darker range — deep enough that the colour above it has strong contrast and reads as vivid rather than washed out. It's not the jet-black of a classic Lightning Ridge stone, but the dark ironstone backing of boulder opal does the same job: it makes the colour pop.
Is the chain solid gold or plated?
The pendant setting is solid 18K yellow gold. The chain is 18K yellow gold-plated — a standard pairing that keeps the piece accessible without compromising the setting. A solid 18K chain upgrade is available on request.
Is this a natural Australian opal?
Yes — a solid, untreated boulder opal from Queensland. Not a doublet, not a triplet, not synthetic. One stone, natural colour.
Certification, shipping, returns?
Every piece is backed by Joseph's personal guarantee, ships fully insured within Australia, and can be returned within 14 days. See Buying an Opal for the full breakdown.
View full details