Cleopatra

The history of opal dates back to Roman Emperors and Egyptian Pharos and was sought after as the most valuable of all gems as documented by the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder.  With Australian opal discovered at the turn of the 20th century the exact source of this opal so vividly and romantically described in ancient writings and legend was not known and only speculated as coming from the opal fields in eastern Europe, the Hungarian opal.  However the quality of Hungarian opal seen in modern times was somewhat uninspiring and never regarded as valuable gem.  Then, at the turn of the 21st century a find of incredibly vivid and beautiful opal from Ethiopia was discovered.  Today, all experts agree that this was the source of this ancient opal that Cleopatra and Mark Anthony cherished so highly coming from Cleopatra’s own kingdom in Africa.  You can plainly see why the vivid and ever changing color display possessed by this opal would captivate the imagination and attention of these ancient people.  This stunning 36 carat Ethiopian crystal opal is masterfully set in 18 karat pink gold surrounded by brilliant diamonds.  A fitting piece for Cleopatra or any women taken with its mysterious beauty of brilliant and ever changing play of color.  Please email or call us for more information and pricing.