The pinfire pattern — where small, closely spaced points of colour are distributed across the face of the opal in a sparkling, confetti-like display — is one of the most classic and immediately recognisable of all opal colour patterns, producing an effect that has been compared to a night sky scattered with vivid spectral stars. In a black opal, where the dark body tone creates maximum colour contrast, the pinfire pattern displays with an exceptional intensity — each small colour point appearing to glow with concentrated spectral brilliance against the dark base, the aggregate display of many small vivid colour points creating an overall impression of considerable richness and liveliness. This Lightning Ridge black opal displays a vivid blue pinfire pattern — bright, concentrated blue colour points scattered across the dark blue-black body, with individual points of vivid blue and blue-green sparkling across the face as the viewing angle shifts. The deep blue-black body tone provides an excellent foundation for the vivid blue colour display, and the scattered pinfire creates a lively, animated appearance of considerable collector interest. A classic and beautiful Lightning Ridge black opal in one of the most traditional and well-regarded of all opal colour patterns. Natural black opal. Origin: Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia | Body tone: N2–N3 | Play-of-colour: blue pinfire | Cut: Cabochon | Brightness: 4/5
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