Green Opal – African Queen
Green Gem from the Heart of Africa
A beautiful opal with an exceptionally vibrant body-colour, Tanzanian Green Opal is found relatively close to the surface and can therefore easily be mined by hand with a pick and hammer. However, the production of this opal has been and still is very limited, and the rough gems are only found and offered very seldomly and in very small quantities.
The brilliant shades of translucent green of Tanzanian Green Opal range from the delicate green of spring to a bright apple green through to a deep, dark forest green. Fine traces of nickel from weathered serpentine are the source of the colour of Tanzanian Green Opal.
It is said that the intensely bright, invigorating Tanzanian Green Opal has the power to raise our mood and to bring serenity and joy to our lives.
Mining and processing
Tanzanian Green Opal, also known as Prasopal, is found at Hanety Hill, north of Dodoma in central Tanzania, in the mountains of East Africa. A previously unknown and unusual deposit of Tanzanian Green Opal was discovered there around 1960.
