Fire OpalsThis is a featured page


fire opal
Use this page to keep an informational log specific to this treasure: The more detailed the information, the more helpful it will be to other hunters. Click EasyEdit to add what you know. (See also Opals.)

General information on fire opals

[Natural or cultural history of the item, trends in value, tips for where to look for it, etc. ]



Fire Opal is the particular color of flames only. Yellow to orange and gemmy is transparent. Red is properly called cherry opal. No precious opal play of color is normally found in this gemstone. Precious Fire Opal is the minority of mined material in Mexico and I have not seen precious from Broken Chisel.


Where to find it:

Most commercial stones come from the Queterro area in Mexico.
There is a world class fee dig at Juniper Ridge in Oregon. The Newnhams own the mine and have a website for Broken Chisel Opals at www.juniperridgeopal.com. Cash and Treasures sent Becky went there in season 2.

Cedar Rim Opal Field - A large resource of fire opal was discovered in 2003 in central Wyoming, just south of Riverton, along Cedar Rim (also known as Cedar Ridge). This field contains a massive opal bearing ridge with common opal opal plus covering portions of 14 to 16 sections of land (section = 1 square mile). Within the common and fire opal deposits are scattered veinlets of precious opal, secondary quartz veinlets, Sweetwater agate, and an excellent decorative stone composed of country rock, veins of opal and fluorescent quartz. This decorative stone should excellent tile and counter-top material. Boulders of opal, weighing more than 33 lbs are common as are thousands of cobbles, pebbles and boulders of common opal that have been exposed in the road cuts of the oil field. Most of the field is located on BLM managed public land.

What areas of the world are famous for this treasure?

If you have first-hand experience with a spot where other treasure hunters can go, enter info here:

GPS Coordinates, if known:
Town/region: Klamath Falls, OR and Lakeveiw, OR
State, country
:Oregon, USA
Tips for finding it:Pay at the fee dig and select the clearest of what you find for your gallon.
GPS Coordinates, if known: Cedar Ridge opal-agate field.
Town/region: Located near south of Riverton
State, country: Wyoming
Tips for finding it: This is the largest opal field in North America, discovered in 2003. Maps are available on the Gemhunter website. A 2008 article about this giant field was published in the ICMJ Prospecting & Mining Journal (v.78, no.2).
GPS Coordinates, if known:
Town/region:
State, country:
Tips for finding it:
GPS Coordinates, if known:
Town/region:
State, country:
Tips for finding it:

Tools needed: See This Website





Special skills needed: None




Identification tips: Not basalt or dirt and is shiny




Additional helpful resources:
[include links to websites, book titles, maps, clubs]




Recommend a guide: Broken Chisel Opal
[If you need a guide, list them here with phone/email and website URL]



Recommend an appraiser
:





Swordfishmining
Swordfishmining
Latest page update: made by Swordfishmining , Dec 21 2009, 3:31 PM EST (about this update About This Update Swordfishmining clean up of language and measurments to reflect rough not gem - Swordfishmining

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Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
Swordfishmining Photographs of precious Wyoming opal. 0 Dec 21 2009, 3:18 PM EST by Swordfishmining
Thread started: Dec 21 2009, 3:18 PM EST  Watch
Post any photos of cabs cut from any of this deposit. I have yet to see a precious cab or mine open since release of the location.
Do you find this valuable?    
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