Boulder Opal Necklace – Leather Cord, 49 x 29mm, Green & Teal

This is a large Boulder Opal, cut as a freeform teardrop cabochon at 49 x 29mm, with a dark speckled ironstone rind left along one edge as a reminder of the rock it came from. The face is dominated by cool green and teal, breaking into paler cream and warm tan where the colour thins, and the stone has a soft translucent quality in places — held up to light, you can see partway into it rather than just off the surface. It hangs from a black leather cord, drilled straight through the top of the stone rather than set into a metal bail, keeping the whole piece raw and stone-led. At this size it sits as a genuine statement pendant.

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
• Dimensions: 49 x 29mm
• Colour Play: Green and teal predominant, with cream and tan through the matrix
• Shape: Freeform teardrop cabochon
• Setting: Drilled through the stone and threaded directly onto the cord — no metal bail
• Chain: Black leather cord
• Origin: Queensland
• 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