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EditorsMar 10, 2009
Opals on the half shell and more
As I mentioned in a news story on NationalJeweler.com, a new opal exhibit just opened up at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Consisting of just 25 opals, the exhibit is small and confined to just one...
As I mentioned in a news story on NationalJeweler.com, a new opal exhibit just opened up at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Consisting of just 25 opals, the exhibit is small and confined to just one special exhibit case, so don't expect anything on the order of the expansive jewelry exhibits that the museum has done in the past, like the one featuring Gold that debuted in 2006 or the one that focused on pearls held back in 2001.
Still, if you're in New York and plan to visit the museum anytime soon, I'd recommend heading over to the Hall of Minerals to see these opals. (Since you can't take the stones out of the case —museum rules, it's
not like a jewelry show—you have to sort of bob and weave in front of
the display case a little bit to see the gems from all angles and to truly catch the interior "fire" that makes opals so unique.)
If you can't make it, here are some photos snapped by National Jeweler's art director (illustrator and occasional photographer) Thomas Rosinski. Enjoy!
Below is a carved precious opal from Andamooka, South Australia, a gift to the museum from Mr. and Mrs. William Wheeler.
These are Ethiopian fire opals from the Menz Gishe District, donated by Evan Yurman of David Yurman.
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