After I got the opal home and had run it under water it was really flashing and had become fairly translucent. I started to wonder if this was a real opal. I did much checking on-line and mostly found info that said maybe this wasn't real because the colors and lines that you could see from the bottom were too uniform and dense. However on the flip side my opal is not completely symmetric as an oval and the bottom is not flat, nor the dome perfect, indicating possibly real. There also appears to be a dark grain of stone or sand that you can only see in the photos. This would also indicate real.
I eventually ran across the post by Chuck Starbird who cuts and polishes Welo opals.
Post that includes info by Chuck Starbird
Thank you Chuck for sharing your pictures!
I saw the strong ribbon pattern in his opals which has the colors all packed in together. Just like mine. Phew! I think it is real. But it seems to be ever changing. In fact if I didn't have it in my possession the entire time I would think it was a different stone. From what I've read the Welo opals take on water when wet which changes their optical properties. As they dry out it changes them back (most of the time).
Video of the top of the opal
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