Opals are typically known for their fiery play-of-color and rather pricey costs, but there is a wide range of what are called “Common Opals” that have striking body colors, luscious bands and bold stripes. And these Opals are great lapidary materials. They’re attractive, colorful and hard enough to take a high polish. Plus the cost of rough material is within the “affordable” range of most lapidaries.

Our speaker this month, Helen Serras-Herman, will discuss a large variety of common Opals including Blue and Pink from Peru and Arizona, Ice-cream from Spencer, Idaho, Morado from Mexico, Bertrandite (or Tiffany Stone) from Utah, Candy-stripe and Utah Lace from Utah, dendritic white and yellow from Idaho, and various greens from Serbia, Tanzania, Argentina, Indonesia, and green cat’s eye from Brazil.

Helen is a 2003 National Lapidary Hall of Fame inductee and an acclaimed gem sculptor with years of experience in gem sculpture and jewelry art. Her award-winning, contemporary organic compositions with carved gems, often intertwined with natural gemstone beads and pearls, have been collected and exhibited world-wide, and published in over 300 trade magazines, newspaper articles and books.

Helen’s work can be seen at gemartcenter.com and on Facebook at Gem Art Center/Helen Serras-Herman