Fire Opal vs Fire Agate - What's the Difference?

Today, Rebecca & Rob are unboxing fire agate & fire opal to find out what makes each so unique! See amazing iridescent gems, huge fantasy cuts, and tell us what we should do with our giant opal rough. Plus learn how these gemstones form and what to look for if you want to collect them!
00:38 - fire opal specimens cut & rough
01:55 - fire opal properties
04:08 - fire opal value
05:26 - Should we cut this massive opal rough?
07:48 - fire agate specimens
08:52 - fire agate properties
11:53 - collecting fire agate
You Can Buy the Stones from this Video!
Fire Agate:
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Fire Opal:
www.jedora.com...
www.jedora.com...
www.jedora.com...
www.jedora.com...
www.jedora.com...
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Gemstones.com is one of the leading experts on gemstones and is the best source on KZbin for all things gem related. Featuring gem history, the science behind the stones, gemstones in pop culture, and much more, you too can become a gemology expert by immersing yourself in the Gemstones.com channel. Rebecca, our host, is a Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America and has an FGA from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain.
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#Gemstones #opal #agate #unboxing #jtv #gemology

[@gems]

Are you Team Opal or Team Agate? And what should we do with our huge fire opal rough? Let us know here!

[@Algoldprospecting]

Send the large one to me. I can cut and cab it lol. Just kidding I like the fire agate. It’s like opal.

[@fennynough6962]

Once cut, you will never be able to uncut. Naturally massive Gems, pricless!

[@Algoldprospecting]

@@fennynough6962 yeah just kidding

[@mquilez01]

I love them both, but am partial to fire agate. Regarding the large uncut piece, I vote to leave it uncut. You can never put it back together if you cut it.

[@hazelnutcase357]

Uncut gem beauties are rarer than hens teeth. Keep it natural.

[@berthaadamson1225]

The size of the massive fire opal is what makes it so unusual so I think cutting it into smaller stones makes it no different from having the same weight in smaller chunks of rough. It should be kept as is or carved into a large art piece, but I can’t decide which I prefer. And I love fire opal and fire agate. I have pieces of each in my collection.

[@zenflow4life]

Keep the rough piece of the Stone. Finding a piece that size is what makes it rare

[@artistrish]

A large sculpture with that huge fire opal would be beautiful and unique! Definitely don't cut it up into smaller chunks.

[@ero1347]

Definitely think that large piece should be created into a single item - love the flame idea!

[@hazelnutcase357]

I am always gutted when I hear about a huge diamond rough being faceted into a handful of gems just to bring out the sparkle. It's about time someone kept the original rough with maybe a polish but even that would take away from the beauty of the natural gem.

[@ieatcaribou7852]

I love cutting fire opal and fire agate. That large one was absolutely incredible. I love it in its rough shape. It looks very similar to carnelian.

[@toriholliday]

just bought my first Fire Agate this past weekend for a great price, and was asking this question after i got it!! thanks for clearing the air, y’all are the best❤️‍🔥

[@icatz]

I've always been Team Fire Agate. I collect my own and sometimes people give them to me. But I got a deep red Mexican Fire Opal rough cab in a necklace for $3 at the thrift shop and it's got green and purple PoC. It's incredible. I'm not really interested in any opal without PoC.

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

Yay Rebecca and Rob together! These two making videos together are the beating heart of this channel! Also, please keep that fire opal rough all natural 🥰 what an amazing specimen, even just seeing the light it transmits as beautiful orange shadows is divine 😍

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

I vote for becca's dad to keep that chonky fire opal rough in his collection. Never seen a chonk that big!

[@shadodragonette]

While I would love to have a tiny bit of that huge fire opal (because I love rocks and gems), I also really like the idea of it being kept as is. I have a small collection of random rocks and gems, some polished and some raw, plus a few fossils. So I see both sides. The artistic part of me somewhat likes the idea of a carving, but maybe in a decade or 3 after more people get to appreciate it as a whole. That also goes with dividing it, wait a decade or 3...

[@oscarmedina1303]

Fire agate is one of my favorites and Rebecca and Rob did not disappoint ! Fabulous episode !! Would love to add some more fire agate to my collection.

[@user-ns2yb2cq6j]

Love these two! The stones as well. Rebecca is a fantastic host for this channel and she effortlessly shares a wealth of knowledge on all types of gemstones. I’ve learned so much from this video and these two hosts really make learning fun, positive and interesting! Team Agate for sure. I’m a sucker for that Schiller effect. Keep the opal rough😉

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

Rebecca and rob are the best team ever, super agree! And also about keeping that opal rough natural! Fuck yes! 👊

[@user-ns2yb2cq6j]

Haha!!! Yes they both have great energy. The only type of people to talk about gemstones!

[@Pollenoverponds]

For the rough it would be nice to have at least some of it polished so you could see inside. I could see making just a couple of “window” facets and leaving some rough. It would be cool to make one big cut too! Not as excited about about making it into small pieces.

[@musicmanmatt87]

13:49 I just bought it! They said the buyer gets to name it. I've decided it looks most like a bicycle seat. So I name thee, "The Seat of JTV"!

[@ResortDog]

Congratulations!

[@gems]

Haha! Great!

[@aaronh1372]

Where u get gourded

[@Kris_at_WhiteOaksFarm]

Good golly, that big piece was astounding. Just polish the surface to let the light in/through. It'd be spectacular! All the specimens were beautiful.

[@libertyblueskyes2564]

I like that huge fire opal in its rough shape the best.

[@cagu007]

Keep the fire opal like this, it is a magnificent sample, museum quality

[@barbaraeidinger6826]

I'm team agate. Fire Agate looks like botryoidal limonite that got enrobed in chalcedony. Love the unique lumpy diffraction colors.

[@AdrianaB-uv7yg]

Flame sculpture for sure! It would be a shame to break it into small pieces!

[@MrCunningham4]

The fire agate is what I first imagined fire opal to look like before seeing it. It would be amazing to see what a sculptor could do with that huge opal, a tribute to it's bird of paradise namesake is what I'm imagining

[@catienoble3191]

I would love to see that big fire opal kept in one piece but carved somehow!

[@tott3457]

Keep the Hugh fire opal as a specimen!!! One of a kind !!!

[@amirabdelaziz4427]

My favorite gemstones KZbin channel

[@ck6962]

That big piece might do nicely carved into something for a water fountain.

[@SharonKofoed]

All these gems are SO pretty! Maybe that large piece could be carved into a fire flower! If you're looking for another video game related video to do, how about talking about the minerals and gemstones players can find in Fae Farm and the fact that they get used in so many ways (including unlocking some color palettes)!

[@tydelwave]

Maybe making a full, over the top parure with a tiara (with pieces that could be removed or worn as brooches or hair ornaments), that way everything could still be related. I’m sure some big publicity could be had if it were loaned to someone in the Dutch royal family. They are the House of Orange after all.

[@michaeltrudell9356]

I love that fire agate!

[@ultramarinewaters9325]

I love Dalan Hargrave! I’d love to see him create art with that giant Opal!

[@gmariet1391]

This show cleared up a lot for me ! Thank you !

[@lissetteflores4469]

Nice shirt Robert it matches todays theme ❤🎉 team Fire Agate 🔥

[@judithjeffers7666]

I have to admit that Opals were my favorite until I saw these Fire Agates. I have to admit that my favorite color is Bling.

[@John081590]

I love, love fire gate! I have a few roughs and windows(similar to what they would call rubs for opals) and polished pieces in my collection and they are lovely! Purples and blues are more unusual in fire opals and they command a higher prize, which I find interesting because in opals, purples and blues are kore common. Pinks and reds are sought after fire agates and opals though and command top prize.

[@lizzymoore54]

Keep the huge fire opal rough as is, the way it was formed and as a specimen. My favorite though, is the fire agate. Chalcedony, in any form, is just beautiful and can be found in landscape rocks. I just found a light orange-yellow oblong rock ( light passes through it ) that mysteriously has a cross ( similar to a Templar’s cross or Christian cross ) on it. These rocks are river rocks and most are beautifully “ tumbled “, by nature and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I’ve also found agates amongst the lot and I have a lot of them and these are most beautiful. 💎

[@largent45]

Those are both so beautiful and so different! The names are close and easy to mix up but the material the name represents is so different. I love fire agates! They are just amazing with their bots and colors and even sagenite sprays! Each one is totally unique and no two will ever look alike! And fire opal is just beautiful! It's the only common opal that is valued . And unlike most common opal, it is not completely opaque. With it's firey color and it's cloudy clear appearance, it does not follow the opal category at all. But is still very beautiful and is not common at all! This was a really interesting episode and I'm so jealous, that you have a fire opal with a play of color! So very beautiful! And that huge piece of rough? I would leave it as is until someone either buys it as is for a decent amount of money or until the answer comes to definitively. You will know, when you know! Thanks guys!

[@milanopiano]

I'm so curious what an artist would make out the big piece of rough. Wonderful video as always. I can't pick a favourite =3=

[@nancyspradling1131]

One of the first pieces in my collection was Mexican Fire Opal - way back in the early 60’s! At the time I thought it looked like a small bit of old jello sitting on a rock, which of course was in the matrix…not a word the 10 year old me had ever heard of!

[@gems]

Very cool!

[@1catfishuntermiller753]

Hi guys and gal's, awesome video as usual. I carve fire agates and it's my favorite agate, I also make cabs out of fire opals too, I love fire opals because of it's unique play of colors, and sometimes the cracks can make beautiful rainbows. So if you can capture the rainbow you know your have a work of art from the Opal God's. I hope yall have a awesome blessed day. Cya! 😺🐟 out!

[@arielvining9305]

I love the Fire Agate!!! I think as far as the large piece goes, I think it should be carved into something large and spectacular. *BUT* save whatever gets offcut as a sale item or giveaway! I would love fire opal chips!

[@joeb-fv3mw]

I just bought some rough fire agate and fire opal at Albuquerque gem minerials show!! My question is ??? Are you guys stalking me!!!! I'm just kidding! I love the both of you I always count down the hours to watching you videos! It would be a dream of mine to do what you two brilliant stars do ! Thank you+1000×

[@mariekulig9403]

Love the fire agate, leave as is.

[@acidrainopal]

What a match up guys and I have to say both look good on the card. Who's corner will win? I'd like to say fire opal is my pick for this fight as the heavy weight. The prize winner would be carved into a swerling wind swept fire a large centre piece carved by a lapidary ., Large is rairly available. A statement piece is profoundly more appealing than just more faceted stones that look the same as thousands. The fire agate a top class fighter for this card with great footwork and a popular winner . I've cut some and carved, love fire agate what a marvellous stone but I've only a little it's treasured. Opal with a little agate on the bench! Yes opal was player of the day.

[@brockshields9336]

I love Mexican Fire Agates. I've a dozen or so, finished cabochons and dozens more of in the rough, nodules. My favorite ring that I always wear is a fire agate. On the humongous fire opal...... I would like to see it polish with least amount of overall loss as possible. But then shaping it into something distinctive (again with the least amount of loss to the mass) could make it more valuable if tastefully. Careful, what you think is tasteful, well..... The worst you could do to it is cut it up. There are plenty of smaller stones, already available.

[@mikiohirata9627]

never heard of fire agate and they are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on Fire Opal and Fire Agate. BTW I suggest curving fire bird on that big Fire Opal Rock.

[@chir0pter]

MoreGems youtube channel has done some absolutely spectacular facets of Welo crystal opal. Looks like the Arkenstone

[@calebgibson1999]

I think you should do a collaborative cutting with a couple to a few good lapidaries working together to design

[@madambutterfly1997]

Opal is so beautiful

[@michealgrzywinski4959]

Great video…I’m a huge fan of fire agate.

[@chasecarlson4900]

I have a few Mexican fire opal with play of color! It’s not crazy intense but it’s definitely nice play of color on the gorgeous orange opals! Fire agates I’m really getting into and I honestly have zero clue why I waited so long to get one, they’re gorgeous! I got a couple large Cabochons with the entire rainbow and they remind me of dragon scales🐉✨

[@nononoisaidnope]

I live in west tx and just assumed that all of the fire agate I've picked up was just orange chalcedony; which is everywhere. Thanks for the education!

[@soniashapiro4827]

One big splendid piece.

[@davidariamirroarkyoung]

You can get smaller pieces of quality rough, but finding another fire opal if that quality is not routine...

[@Amalya88]

Can you please make content on comparing fire opals and amber ?

[@lv4tmnt90]

I love your personal collection best because I have some of my oun very similar to it. I really love rockhounding.

[@vickimartintingle3391]

Love both , but the fire agate is my fav❤😊

[@chelseabangs9657]

I just got a piece of faceted fire opal this summer. I keep it in water because it’s not in a setting for now.

[@user-oo1tq5dn6y]

I liked the Big Rock!Fire Opal

[@laurenzparsons5315]

maybe make a large sculpture, but faceted with as many small facets as possible so it sparkles like crazy

[@SisterUnity]

Re: the large fire opal: for heavens sake, DONT cut it! It is enormous and gorgeous exactly as nature made it. That is its beauty. To break it into little pieces is to satisfy human vanity. To carve it into something is to impose human vanity upon what nature made beautiful. Leave it as is is my vote. Respect it's integrity.

[@tayaricoleman]

Yall should do a video on fire Obsidian as well!!

[@gems]

We have! Please check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWKZqptrqph1oJI

[@bullseyek]

Take the giant fire Opal and make a series of interlocking pieces like a chain, or a puzzle.

[@KrosanBeast315]

Purple is the most highly prize color seen in Fire Agate Chalcedony.

[@troyblueearth7450]

fasten it into one large piece really do you have an option to facet something so large into one large statement!

[@etiennejager8701]

Can you do a video that has rough examples of agate and opal one would find on the ground

[@gems]

That's a good idea! We'll see what we can find...

[@abyssallagiacrus2433]

A large piece would be beautiful.

[@user-my5ze3dm2s]

Make a koi/goldfish sculpture with the fire opal.

[@th8298]

In Washington state I have found so many beautiful pieces.

[@Algoldprospecting]

I may have found some fire opal but hard to tell could just be carnelian

[@Clarion11]

Don’t you dare break up that huge opal rough! It definitely needs to be an awesome carving or something!

[@hendersonfamily8567]

I think to have a piece of the fire opal would be awesome. But left alone as itis a big piece would e awesome also

[@mizmamajoe]

Team agate! ❤ Leave the rough as is.

[@Evilmindy12]

My birthday is 10/30 I’ve never been a fan of the opal that’s usually assigned to my birthday month, so I’m glad there’s different types of opal( I’m a newbie lol) ✨

[@gems]

Happy birthday!

[@melodyfaith7712]

Fire agates are so hard to cut!

[@jasonkaye4490]

Have you ever done segment on Dendritic Opal?? It always fascinating

[@gems]

I don't think we've done that yet. But we'd love to in the future!

[@disideratum]

It might be best to use the giant rough fire opal to make many faceted pieces so more people can enjoy them. One large sculpture would be great of course but honestly wouldn't it just sit on a shelf collecting dust? I would wear a faceted pendant All the Time..✨🔶✨

[@disideratum]

Also would be great material for that lapidary artist to do lots of fancy cuts.

[@sandys62]

Thanks for the video, guys. Hey, what's the difference between fire agate and carnelian? Thanks again. 😊

[@gems]

In short - carnelian is chalcedony colored red by iron oxide, it lacks the iridescent colors shown by fire agate because it doesn’t have thin layers of goethite or limonite.

[@sandys62]

@@gems @gems Thanks for your reply. I picked up a few pieces of what I think is fire opal when we were visiting Tequisquiapan, Mx. Is there any way I could send you some photos to see if you could help me verify their identity.? Muchas gracias🤪.

[@TheGrassman451]

Flame engulfed bird of paradise!

[@gmariet1391]

Fire agate !❤

[@gemhunterphilippines-vo9sh]

i like all kinds of gems❤️

[@monareese5307]

That giant fire Opal, you should make a sculpture an Indian Head. with the feathers.

[@user-nw5ml7lr2b]

Please leave huge opal alone!❤

[@aussieflintknapping]

I'd make the coolest arrowhead with a slab from that big fire opal 🤤

[@lindacook9300]

I prefer the fire agate in this video. That oddly shaped one reminds me of a stomach.

[@mandm2349]

I thought fire opal was fire agate and it was from the moisture in petrified trees?

[@user-jef123]

Theirs fire Opal in outback Western Australia Australia

[@fixfireleo]

NO! Dont cut that beauty! Cut it into a single piece that is best cut/maximum size. You dont find them that big too often. It would be like breaking up an old castle so everyone can have some paving stones for their garden.

[@monareese5307]

I love my Opals But they are all equally beautiful.

[@captainflint89]

as a flintknapper i would give my right arm for a piece of that stone to make a spear point

[@slwtgf]

I’d think the gorgeous heavenly rough shaped into a frog 🐸 would be awesome

[@philodendron6]

Fire Agate! As Agate was found near a river, water and fire.

[@georgetteroenfeldt8144]

Do the cut opals need oiling too?

[@anaraphael2222]

Being a Libra Im a massive opal fan

[@kanahauwildlifeconservatio8313]

What is the price of the large raw crystal? I am very curious

[@simonphoenix3789]

I don't get why fire opal is valuable. I mean it looks nice, but so does a lot of obsidian and flint. I've seen this rootbeer flint thats very common in texas and has a beautiful brownish shine to it when polished, even the freshly cut faces of that look pretty similar to fire opal. Maybe I'm missing something due to seeing on video, but it always struck me as strange that even fire opal without play of color is valuable.

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

great showkeep it up

[@gems]

Thanks!

[@tvon698]

Thanks for another great episode/ lesson. Super appreciative.. hope this question doesn’t make me look stupid. But are these faked a lot? I’ve been looking online to buy a small opal recently. Just wanting to start a collection. But I’m worried about getting ripped off. I’ve heard ‘backing’ is something to look out for. Any other advice?

[@gems]

Great question! We actually have a video coming up next week on how to tell opal from its simulants. Keep an eye out. In the meantime, I can tell you that if you're looking for an opal with play of color, look at it closely. If the color pattern looks symmetrical and orderly, be skeptical.

[@lorawaring883]

beautiful

[@lauraedoerrie2936]

Heart with flames

[@astriddean6433]

Please stand firm in your founding goal of wanting to share genuine, fascinating and hard to find and/or expensive items to the public. I've literally had a red-orange fire opal pendant in my literal dreams for years. Ya'all like making dreams come true, yeah?

[@sheilayoung6590]

Where was the large fire Opal found?