A gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, has been sold for nearly $144,000 at auction in Alaska.
The auction house, Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals, said the opal, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats. It also has a long history. Most recently, it was kept in a linen closet in a home in Big Lake, north of Anchorage, by Fred von Brandt, who mines for gold in Alaska and whose family has deep roots in the gem and rock business.
The opal is larger than a brick. Von Brandt said the stone has been in his family since the late 1950s, when his grandfather bought it from an Australian opal dealer.
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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, has been sold for nearly $144,000 at auction in Alaska on Sunday.
Read more »
Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auctionJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A 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 »
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.
Read more »
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 »
Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auctionThe 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.
Read more »
Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auctionJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — 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, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals.
Read more »