The opal, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats and is one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals.
JUNEAU, Alaska — A gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, was sold for $143,750 at auction in Alaska on Sunday.
The opal is larger than a brick and is broken into two pieces, which von Brandt said was a practice used decades ago to prove gem quality. “He entrusted me to figure out which direction we wanted to go to part with the stone,” von Brandt told The Associated Press. Nick Cline, a partner and appraisal specialist with Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals, said the family has documentation surrounding the provenance of the opal. As part of his research, he contacted Fiona Altmann, granddaughter of John Altmann and general manager of Altmann + Cherny in Sydney, Australia.Altmann said when Cline emailed her, she was skeptical; the name of the stone, in particular, threw her.
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Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auctionThe opal, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats, according to an auction house. Until recently, it was kept in a linen closet in a home in Big Lake.
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Huge opal sells for almost $144,000 at Alaska auctionThe opal is larger than a brick and is broken into two pieces, which was a practice used decades ago to prove gem quality.
Read more »
Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auctionThe opal, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals.
Read more »
Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auctionA gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, has been sold for nearly $144,000 at auction in Alaska on Sunday
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Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auctionA gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, was sold for $143,750 at auction in Alaska on Sunday.
Read more »