Pipe Boulder Opal Bead #29

A Bit About The Piece: A hand-cut, drilled Australian boulder opal bead. Details, details... The Stone: Pipe Boulder Opal, solid Stone Origin: Queensland, Australia Stone Measurements: 30.13mm x 15.08mm x 7.99mm Stone Shape: Pear Shape Cabochon Brightness of Color: 1.5 of 5 Approximate Surface Opal Content: 16% Predominant Colors: Purple Bead Weight: 3.67 grams Drill Hole Size: 2.3mm *All photos are of the front of the stone.    About Opal:   While many believe opal to come only in a traditional white hue, this common misconception cannot be more inaccurate.  With over 200 varieties of natural opal discovered so far, the historically referred "Queen of Gems" can come in a wide variety of colors- before the stone's famous "play of color" rainbow effect is even taken into consideration.  Over 90% of the world's opal is produced in Australia with other well-known deposits located in Mexico, Ethiopia, Brazil, and the United States. Chemically, opal is an integrated combination of water and