Fire opal has been found in Ethiopia for many years, however this new deposit also known as 'desert opal,' typically has a white silica base, compared to the previous finds that were brown or occasionally black. Desert opal can be brilliant and colorful. It is a relatively new deposit, and as such untested for very long time horizons (like Australian). I've sorted thorugh many high grade pieces I've held back for many years to find a match to this fully polished free form cut opal. The color play is red, green, yellow and orange. The fire is way better in person. High grade pieces such as these are hard to get now. The rough piece weighs 11.5 carats, the polished free form weighs 6.2 carats.

Opal (rough and cut)