{"title":"New Arrivals","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDiscover our latest arrivals, genuine opal freshly sourced from the Lightning Ridge fields, including Corcoran, Grawin and the town opal fields, added here before it's sorted into its permanent home across the site. At Opal Hub Australia, this is where every new stone lands first, black opal, dark opal, crystal opal, rough, rubs, parcels and finished jewellery, and where the strongest material is often seen before it's gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eExceptional stones rarely wait. Colour driven by genuine structural rarity, red and blue sitting at opposite extremes of sphere size, and Lightning Ridge's specific, limited set of named patterns, harlequin, flagstone, straw, rolling flash, broad flash, pictorial, don't come through in volume. When something genuinely rare surfaces, it moves quickly. This collection gives serious buyers first access, rather than relying on catching it after it's already been placed within a category.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop Our Latest Arrivals\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNew Black Opal\u003cbr\u003eNew Dark Opal\u003cbr\u003eNew Crystal Opal\u003cbr\u003eNew Rough and Rubbed Opal\u003cbr\u003eNew Opal Parcels\u003cbr\u003eNew Jewellery Pieces\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEvery piece is sourced directly from the Lightning Ridge fields and listed here as soon as it's ready to sell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy Check New Arrivals\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFirst access to genuinely new material as it's sourced\u003cbr\u003eThe fastest way to see exceptional colour and pattern before it moves\u003cbr\u003eNaturally mined, direct from Lightning Ridge, no delay between sourcing and listing\u003cbr\u003eGenuine geological rarity, not manufactured scarcity\u003cbr\u003eIdeal for serious collectors building a collection with intent\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcquire With Confidence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAt Opal Hub Australia, everything listed here is sourced directly from the Lightning Ridge fields, carrying the same standard of authenticity and provenance across our entire collection. Check back regularly, and buy direct from the source.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"ancestor-cretaceous-opalised-shark-tooth","title":"\"The Ancestor\" Cretaceous Opalised Fossil Shark Tooth","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSome fossils engage the imagination. This one promises to hold you captive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\"The Ancestor\" is an opalised Cretaceous shark tooth recovered from Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. It belongs to the family Otodontidae, the direct ancestral lineage of Megalodon, the largest shark to have ever lived. The specimen is attributed to Cretalamna, an apex predator that ruled the seas of the Cretaceous period. Think of it as the great white shark of its era. Ferocious, relentless, built for dominance. Three rows of teeth grew outward simultaneously, rotating forward as the outer teeth were lost. A system engineered for continuous, unrelenting predation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAt Lightning Ridge the picture is different. During the Cretaceous period this region was a freshwater to near shore coastal environment, not open ocean. Cretalamna was an ocean hunter. When it came into these freshwater hunting grounds it was pursuing prey. On one of those rare incursions, it shed this tooth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThat alone makes it unusual. What makes it singular is the opalisation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOtodontid teeth have been found in Western Australia. They have not been found opalised at Lightning Ridge. This is the only known example. It has been examined by specialist palaeontologists and is the subject of ongoing academic research. There is nothing else like it in the record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe tooth itself is complete and exceptionally preserved. The wide curved root with its two pronounced lobes and angular pointed base is characteristic of Cretalamna and consistent with an adult specimen. Based on the morphology and size, the shark this tooth belonged to is estimated at three metres or more in body length.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis animal hunted through waters that are now desert. What it left behind survived the unimaginable passage of time, transformed by the earth itself into something extraordinary, and emerged from the ground at Lightning Ridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe rarity of what you are looking at cannot be overstated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eContact us to enquire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52330072572180,"sku":"OHA-26-OF-0001","price":25000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Photoroom_20260210_231147.jpg?v=1783073212"},{"product_id":"13-3-ct-n2-finished-black-opal-copy","title":"13.25 ct N6 Finished Crystal","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis freeform crystal opal carries a genuine three dimensional pattern through a high dome, double sided cut. Each face displays its own distinct pattern. A red glow runs through the body tone, a clear indicator of crystal quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCrystal opal of this size and clarity is exceptional.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eGreen, blue and purple move across and through the three dimensional flagstone pattern, embellished with chaff and facing brilliantly from every angle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSet as a pendant with a spinning mount to showcase both faces, paired with accent stones, this piece becomes something that exists nowhere else in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52816739107092,"sku":"OHA-26-CO-0001","price":13250.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Opal5-v2.jpg?v=1783338927"},{"product_id":"necklace-figaro-chain-sterling-silver","title":"Figaro Sterling Silver Chain","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e925 sterling silver figaro chain, rhodium plated, available in two lengths:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e48cm - approx 1.76mm width\u003cbr\u003e54cm - approx 1.47mm width\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eIn stock now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Sterling Silver \/ 48cm","offer_id":52816775053588,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Sterling Silver \/ 54cm","offer_id":52816775086356,"sku":null,"price":43.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Chain1-WG-C4.jpg?v=1779076800"},{"product_id":"168ct-lightning-ridge-specimen-poseidon-fire","title":"168 ct Poseidon's Fire - Opal Art Specimen","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePoseidon's Fire. Lightning Ridge Opal Specimen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e168 carats of ocean and flame, held in a single irreplaceable form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA deep teal body, the colour of open water, with fire erupting from within. Orange, red and gold scattered like embers across the face, threaded together by a web of natural lightning that traces every surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFormed over millions of years beneath the fields of Lightning Ridge. What emerged is not a gemstone. It is a sculpture. A conversation piece of the highest order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTo own Poseidon's Fire is to own something that cannot be replicated, commissioned, or found again. It commands a room. It demands attention. Displayed in a private residence, an executive space, or a collector's cabinet, it speaks to the discernment of its owner before a single word is said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOne of a kind. In every sense of the phrase.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52823560323348,"sku":"OHA-26-SP-0001","price":24000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Opal4-v1_5a3beb0c-596b-45a9-bfe4-f5cf64abc611.jpg?v=1784635643"},{"product_id":"80ct-dark-rough-seam-opal-lightning-ridge","title":"Big 80ct Dark Rough Seam Opal","description":"\u003cp dir=\"auto\" class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eA substantial 53.5 carat seam opal, dark to black body tone range, sourced directly from the field. Beneath the skin, indicators point toward a black body tone, with darkening visible along one side and around the top edge, suggesting genuine potential toward the higher end of the scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\" class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eA thick bar runs across the main face, with bar indicators visible around the stone to varying degrees, a promising sign for what lies beneath. Early evidence points toward chaff, potential flagstone, and rolling flash, with colour indicators showing, orange, yellow and green, alongside blue and purple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\" class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eA substantial nugget with genuine upside for the right cutter, offered as rough with all the potential that comes with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\" class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52823609344276,"sku":"OHA-RO-26-0006","price":2800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Opal8-v2_2592a461-d5bb-49ae-8ab4-14d5ef3d1108.jpg?v=1784637302"},{"product_id":"31-85ct-rough-parcel-lightning-ridge","title":"31.85ct Bright Rough Opal Parcel","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFive pieces of Lightning Ridge crystal seam opal. 31.85ct total. Vivid reds, oranges, greens and blues firing across every piece in the parcel. The colour is broad, full spectrum and immediate. Body tone ranging from N5 dark to N6 light with the kind of colour intensity that makes you look twice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThese are cutter's pieces. Each one carries genuine yield potential. In our experience, material like this can darken up as cutting progresses. There are no guarantees, but the opportunity is there for the cutter who knows what they are doing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52826277740820,"sku":"OHA-26-PA-0016","price":2400.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/parcel_rough_2.jpg?v=1787710279"},{"product_id":"dark-rough-parcel-2","title":"28.7g Dark and Black Opal Rough Parcel","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA 28.7 gram parcel of Lightning Ridge dark and black opal rough. Bright greens, blues and purples throughout. A nice bright little rub in the mix alongside some stones with genuine promise and some honest gambles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis parcel is a cutter's delight. Fun to be had and hopefully some bright little gems to cut. The material is bright, although there is some sand about the place. Suitable for beginners or the more experienced person who likes a challenge and wants to work for it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\"They Don't Have To Be Big In The Ridge.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAffordable and provides good value toward possible outcomes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFree shipping within Australia. For international collectors, complimentary shipping is available on orders over $500.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53633089863956,"sku":"OHA-26-PA-0002","price":385.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/PARCEL2.jpg?v=1786606921"},{"product_id":"dark-rough-parcel-3","title":"28.81ct Mixed Base Rough Nobby Parcel","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA mixed parcel of Lightning Ridge dark and black opal rough. 28.81ct total across varying stones, varying body tones, purples, blues and greens throughout. There are a few in here with real potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe standout of the parcel is a green, blue on black nobby black opal. That is the king stone of this parcel. One bright orange piece that could yield a nice fiery little pointer. \"They Don't Have To Be Big In The Ridge.\" Amongst other pieces, there is further potential waiting to be uncovered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis kind of parcel has the potential to reward patience and a steady hand on the wheel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFree shipping worldwide shipping with this order. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53633093370132,"sku":"OHA-26-PA-0001","price":630.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/PARCEL3_79e4d08b-ed43-4219-ad79-3643f874c00a.jpg?v=1786606965"},{"product_id":"rough-nobby-47-65ct-black-opal","title":"47.65ct Black Opal Rough Nobby","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe opportunity within it is what makes it interesting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA 47.65ct rough black opal nobby with blue, purple and green showing throughout the stone and across the windows. Sand is evident around the edges and the yield is unknown. That is the exciting thing about rough nobbies. What comes out the other side depends on where the cutter finds the colour, how deep it runs and across what breadth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is the nature of rough opal and the reason people love it. At this weight and this price, the risk is low and the upside is real. This is Lightning Ridge black opal. Not much of it needs to cut well to make this worthwhile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFree shipping within Australia, Build your parcel to $750 to receive free shipping worldwide. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53633110540564,"sku":"OHA-26-RO-0002","price":300.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/NOBBY47.652.jpg?v=1786607143"},{"product_id":"rough-nobby-specimen-46-7ct-black-opal","title":"46.70ct Black Opal Nobby Specimen","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOne nobby. Two halves. A lifetime of looking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis 46.70ct black opal nobby is presented in its natural split form, both halves together as a complete specimen. The larger half weighs 32.15ct, the smaller 14.55ct. Thick bright bars of electric blue and green run from skin to skin through both pieces, kicking and alive under any light. This is black opal in its truest form. Raw, uncut, exactly as nature made it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThere is something spectacular about a nobby like this. The way it formed over millions of years underground. The way the colour sits inside the stone, bright and immediate, making its point without any help from a cutter or a jeweller. Collectors understand this immediately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a piece you pick up and cannot quite put down. A specimen that rewards every angle, every light source, every return visit. The kind of thing that sits in a collection and draws people in every single time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAnd if one day the urge to cut it becomes too strong, that option is always there. But in its natural form, this nobby is already everything it needs to be.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e32.15ct + 14.55ct | 46.70ct total.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53633144553748,"sku":"OHA-26-SP-0004","price":1850.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/NOBBYCLOSED32.15.3jpg.jpg?v=1786607271"},{"product_id":"dark-fire-art-nobby-rub","title":"6.90ct Bright Black Opal Rub","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThere are opals that display colour. And then there are opals that perform it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis 6.90ct Lightning Ridge black opal rub is the latter. Body tone ranges from N2 black at its deepest points through to N8 at the lighter elements, a span that creates extraordinary contrast and depth across the face. The colour does not sit still. As the stone moves, new colours emerge in the same spot. Reds shift to oranges, greens layer over blues, magenta and pigeon blood red pulse through the pattern with an intensity that stops you mid-turn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe pattern is 3D moss. Not moss that sits flat, moss that builds, layer over layer, each new colour rolling in over the last. Like the greatest works of art, the longer you look, the more you find. New details emerge. New colours appear where you thought you had already seen everything. You can look at this stone for hours and still be finding things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eRolling flash ribbon runs through the face. An asteria pattern emerges from the right eye of the stone. Vibrant reds, oranges, blues, greens, gold and magenta all present simultaneously. Colour shows from every direction with varying intensity. This is not a stone that has one good angle. Every angle earns its attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe lighter body tone elements can be reduced through polishing and final shaping. This is a rub. What you are seeing here is not the ceiling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is not just an opal. This is artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53633165656340,"sku":"OHA-26-RB-0002","price":2350.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/rubfireart1.jpg?v=1786607471"},{"product_id":"opalised-plesiosaur-tooth-lightning-ridge","title":"Juvenile Opalised Plesiosaur Tooth","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAt just 2.25ct, this tooth belonged to a creature that was still finding its place in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is an opalised Cretaceous plesiosaur tooth recovered from Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. The morphology is consistent with a younger, juvenile specimen, a plesiosaur in the early stages of what would have become a life of dominance in the waters of the Cretaceous period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat makes this piece particularly rare is the environment it came from. Lightning Ridge during the Cretaceous was a freshwater to near shore coastal setting, not open ocean. Plesiosaurs were ocean hunters. Finding evidence of one in this environment is unexpected and adds another layer to what is already an extraordinary piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe tooth is complete and exceptionally preserved. Delicate ribbing runs the length of the curved form, exactly as nature laid it down over one hundred million years ago. The opalisation has replaced the original material with silica, preserving every detail with a clarity that defies the passage of time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLightning Ridge is one of the few places on earth where opalised marine fossils are found. Each one is a window into an ancient world that existed beneath what is now the outback of New South Wales. This tooth is part of that story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eContact us to enquire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53712639066388,"sku":"OHA-26-OF-0002","price":3800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Baby_Ples_1.jpg?v=1787550775"},{"product_id":"12ct-bright-mulga-seam-opal","title":"12ct Bright Mulga Seam Opal","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEvery seam opal tells the story of the ground it came from, and this one from the Mulga field is a vivid example. At 12 carats, N8 body tone with B3 brightness, the colour doesn't sit in one spot, it moves. Turn the stone and the pattern changes with it, floral bursts on one face, flagstone breaking into rolling flash and ribbon on another, each side telling its own part of the story. Red, orange, gold, green and lilac chase each other across the surface as the light shifts, the same way it would have looked the moment this piece first broke free from the earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is Lightning Ridge in its rawest form, unpolished, unaltered, and speaking entirely for itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53934343029012,"sku":"OHA-26-RO-0013","price":3150.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Mulga_Large_Seam_3.jpg?v=1788260595"},{"product_id":"43-45-ct-dark-lightning-ridge-rough-opal","title":"43.45 CT Dark Lightning Ridge Rough Opal","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA striking example of Lightning Ridge dark opal, still presenting in the rough. Smoky in character, with a dark crystal base and deep purple-blue fire moving across the face of the stone, set against the natural ironstone matrix still attached at the edge. This is opal exactly as it came out of the ground, colour on full display before any cutting decision has been made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eN5 dark body tone. The kind of rough that draws collectors and cutters alike, offering a rare chance to own a piece in its most honest state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53934351286548,"sku":"OHA-26-RO-0017","price":285.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Dark_Rough_Opal_Smokey.jpg?v=1788260596"},{"product_id":"13-8ct-lightning-ridge-black-nobby","title":"13.8ct Lightning Ridge Black Nobby Opal","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA dark to black bodied Lightning Ridge nobby weighing 13.8ct with a natural window opened to reveal blue and green flash sitting deep in the stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe visible face hints at more colour running through the body, the kind of window that gets a cutter's attention straight away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSand and waste are part of every nobby out of the Ridge and this one is honest rough, sold as seen, with the reward sitting in what the saw finds once you go in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThere is enough showing here to justify the gamble, and enough depth to suggest the window is only the beginning. It could stand as a specimen on its own if someone wanted to leave it whole, but this piece is going out to cutters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThey Don't Have To Be Big In The Ridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53934363902228,"sku":"OHA-26-RO-0009","price":450.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Rough_Gemmy_Black_Nobby.jpg?v=1788260595"}],"url":"https:\/\/opalhubau.com\/collections\/new-arrivals.oembed?page=2","provider":"Opal Hub Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}