Utah Lace Opal

What is Utah Lace Opal?

Utah Lace Opal is a very unique and rare opal that was accidentally discovered in 2008 in Utah, USA by Larry & Joyce Wright. It is characterized by its lace pattern (lace pattern) and rich colors, and is a special mineral that exists nowhere else in the world.

How it was discovered

• 2006, Larry joined a rock club. At first he wasn’t familiar with minerals and only picked up rocks that he found on the ranch.

• Joyce had kept minerals that the ranch’s previous owner had left behind, and that sparked her interest.

• Became hooked on rock hunting during Larry’s work relocations (western Colorado〜eastern Utah) and while traveling to visit family.

• In 2008,they explored near Milford, Utah following a rock guidebook and found a hard, foamy rock near the roots of trees toppled by a previous wildfire.

• Brought it home for observation and collected better specimens over several visits.

• Analyzed at a lab in Grand Junction (Colorado) and identified as an opal-forming mineral.
  → **Utah Lace Opal（Utah Lace Opal）** was named.

 Mineralogical characteristics

• Formation periodApproximately300–2000 years agoa relatively recent opal.

• Formation process：

  • Silica deposition from geyser activity.

  • Maturation from OPAL-C (amorphous opal) to OPAL-CT (microcrystalline opal), and eventually to quartz.

  • Gas pockets and silica layers intertwine in complex ways, forming structures resembling stalactites and stalagmites.

• Origins of color：

  • White: opalized silica

  • Blue-green: aluminum

  • Magenta pink: manganese

  • Orange: iron

  • Gray: magnesium

  • Yellow: titanium

• **lace pattern（lace pattern）** is created by layered structures formed inside VUG（cavities）.

Products and distribution

• Mining method：No machinery is used; all hand-mined (up to about 20m). Environmental considerations are included.

• Availability：Very limited quantities. Can only be sourced from a few restricted deposits.

• Products handled：

  • Rough (raw stones)

  • Slabs (sliced)

  • Cabs (dome-shaped polished stones)

  • Polished rough / slab (polished)

  • Wire-wrapped cabochon

• Where sold:

  • Online

  • High-end jewelry stores

  • Rock shops, etc.

• Distributor:ASPEN ROCK AND GEM (a subsidiary of WRIGHT DISTRIBUTING INC.)

  • Larry crafts as the “rocker,” Joyce as the “wrapper.”

  • They also create pieces combined with reclaimed materials (aspen, deer antler, black walnut, etc.) and adorned with sterling silver.

The allure of Utah Lace Opal

This stone is a one-of-a-kind mineral that fuses the beauty of abstract art painted by nature with the mystery of its formation. Its rarity as a hand-dug find, the fascinating scientific variations in its composition, and its appeal as jewelry carefully finished by human hands.
All of these make it **”a stone with a story”**.