ebay "black opal"

[pokerface]

Found this posting on ebay for a black opal, selling at a minimum price:




I've never seen an opal like it, if it is an opal at all. Any thoughts on what this stone could be? I actually kinda like it.

 

[pokerface]

edit: i'm guessing this is a mosaic triplet opal, hence the price.

 

[cm366]

It's a mosaic triplet, which is to say it's chips of opal glued together on a dark slice of rock and then covered with quartz, but it's not well done - you shouldn't be able to see big honking gaps between the chips. It's not 'black opal' by any stretch of the imagination, either...

Here're some mosaics that are relatively well done and priced at retail - Murray's got good material, too.

http://www.australianopalmines.com/cuts/mosaics/mosaics.html