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Stop Press! Stop Press! Stop Press!
The famous Virgin Rainbow Black Opal is for sale here!
"Pride of Australia / Red Emperor"
‘Pride of Australia', also known as ‘Red Emperor', was found in 1915 by Tom Urwin and Snowy Brown at Phone Line (off Fred Reece Way).
Pride of Australia Opal
(information courtesy of Altmann & Cherny)
The Pride of Australia is shaped like the continent. The 2" x 3" opal has black and blue veins interlaced with brilliant red streaks. By 1954, it had toured at least five World Fairs as "the greatest opal of Australia, and therefore the greatest opal in the world."
This double-sided gem cut to a 225 carat stone that just fit into a tobacco tin. There were two distinct colour bars. The one on the back was much lighter and almost harlequin, totally different to the main bar of dark, rich flashes of colour. Ernie Sherman bought ‘Pride' plus another three stones from the miners for £2000 around 1920. It was the highest price ever paid for four black opals.
The ‘Pride of Australia' was valued in 1931 at £2000 on its own, and was sold in the 1950s from the Percy Marks Collection, Sydney.
Dr. Eaton examines his "Pride of Australia" opal
with the Collector of Customs while guards look on.
In 1954, Dr. Hubert Eaton was the President and Founder of the world famous Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA, and owner of one of the most important gem collections in the United States.
Percy Marks, Ltd., located in Sydney, Australia, was home to the opal when Dr. Eaton was craving for his collection. This firm was supposed to have the greatest opal collection in the world. The Pride of Australia was sitting in the display window when Dr. Eaton arrived.
To Dr. Eaton's dismay, the opal was not for sale. Dr. Eaton chose several other opals and told the firm that he wanted all of these opals plus the Pride -- if the Pride wasn't thrown in with the deal, then there would be no deal. Dr. Eaton wrote in a letter to his assistant, "Well, to cut a long story short, after quite a time, it ended by my going to the bank and getting a draft payable to Percy Marks, Ltd."
Some say the price was £150,000, but Greg Sherman reckons not more than £50,000 was paid for this mostly green-shot-with-orange black opal. ‘Pride' was later stolen from the new owner, Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Los Angeles.
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Famous Opals
