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A 2.4 inch opal named the Virgin Rainbow will be the centerpiece of a museum exhibit opening next month in the South Australian Museumin Adelaide in September. The Virgin Rainbow was discovered in 2003 by opal miner John Dunstan and his partner Steve Zagar near Coober Pedy.

The stone is small, just 63.3 mm in length and from 13.3 mm. The complete crystallization is what makes the piece unique with ". . . brilliant medium to large rolling flash pattern featuring all spectral colours from orange through to violet," according to Chatelaine's Antiques.

Museum director Brian Oldman gushed when describing the stone, which is valued at over $1 million.

"It's of unequalled quality, it's a fully crystal opal," says Oldman to the AFP.

The museum will include other opals as well as recreation of an underground opal mine.

2 5 September 2015 – 14 February 2016 10am-5pm daily

South Australian Museum in a stunning new exhibition from the South Australian Museum, Opals brings to life Australia’s most precious gemstone. It is a story millions of years in the making, from the heart of South Australia, where extraordinary circumstances transformed an ancient inland sea into a mysterious and desolate lunar landscape. From this desert arose radiant treasures that today are some of the most recognised symbols of Australia.

Opals is a story of discovery, human ingenuity and magnificent beauty, set against a backdrop of profoundly isolated geography. It will feature exceptional opalised fossils of ancient marine reptiles, breathtaking opals collected from around Australia, an underground mine recreation, stories of life in the opal fields and an immersive display that explores the science of opals.

Opals gala

Join the Premier of South Australia, the Hon Jay Weatherill MP to discover beautiful opal gems and dig deeper into their story.

The Opals Gala will be full of glitz and glamour – just perfect for a spring-time event at Adelaide’s premier cultural institution: the SA Museum. We are inviting guests to ‘wear your opals’ – and we’ll have an expert on hand to view the opals and discuss their beauty and provenance. There will be music, beautiful light displays from the Australian Opal Centre and plenty more to see and enjoy.

The Opals Gala is a black tie/cocktail dress event, with the chance to visit the exhibition and to drink some wonderful wine from Petaluma, eat exquisite food prepared by Andre Ursini’ scatering company and have the chance to bid for a VIP Shopping experience at Tiffany & Co in a silent auction, which will be stacked with tempting treats, including a trip for two to Singapore, courtesy of Singapore Airlines.