Mexican Cantera Opal Cabochon - Jalisco, Mexico strawberry quartz While pure selenite is colorless

While pure selenite is colorless or white

the renowned Ojuela Mine

hyalite opal impresses when viewed under both Longwave and Shortwave ultraviolet light

These unusual Pyrite specimens are found imbedded in compacted slate

Mexican Cantera Opal Cabochon - Jalisco, Mexico strawberry quartz While pure selenite is colorlessIve always been fascinated by how certain minerals look when they are left partially embedded in their host rock, and this Mexican Cantera Opal Cabochon is a perfect example of that natural contrast. In Spanish, "Cantera" translates to quarry or stone, which refers to the pinkish tan rhyolite matrix that surrounds the precious opal. Instead of being cut out as a traditional gemstone, these specimens are shaped and polished so that the opal sits like a