Black Opal Australian, Faceted 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch Stone Type_Apatite Famous malachite mines in the

Famous malachite mines in the Ural mountains of Russia once produced 20-ton blocks of the stone

giving some rubies a slightly brownish or purplish tint

Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years

The presence of Manganese within the stone produces the purple hue

including lazurite

Black Opal Australian, Faceted 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch Stone Type_Apatite Famous malachite mines in theBlack Opal is a naturally occurring variety of precious opal mined in Australia. this opal variety is characterized by their dark base tone. It is mined under extremely harsh conditions and the high grade specimens are more rare than diamonds. Australian Aboriginal tribes referred to Black Opal as "Fire of the Desert."