Boulder Opal is an exquisite silicon based gemstone which is often found at the heart of a Catherine Best design. Each creation is designed and made entirely by hand so you can rest assured of both its uniqueness and its exceptional craftsmanship. The featured and exceptional Yowah Nut opal weighs over a staggering 221 carats all brought to life by hand in the Channel Islands by our master craftsmen.

A Boulder Opal has many interesting qualities which we love, these include the different spectrum of colours on show and also how an opal can appear different dependant on the angle in which it’s viewed. The flashes of colour make it look incredibly lively and the undulating lines of a boulder opal make it look deeper than it is. It’s very easy to get lost in them, as our designers often do.

Our designers also enjoy seeing the matrix of the opal. This is the solid brown ironstone at the back of the stone which the thin colourful veins of the boulder opal attach onto. We find it creates added interest in the gemstone and the different depths make it more mountainous which ultimately give it more form. Sometimes the veins of the boulder opal travel into the matrix which tells a fascinating story of a gemstone which is created over millions of years.

Each opal we use is chosen by hand and is of the utmost quality so you will be pleased to know that you are purchasing a piece of art entirely wrapped in romance and luxury.