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Message:: [QUOTE="Any Jewelry, post: 9503789, member: 2844"]Beautiful pendant, Kiko. As Holly said, the opal has dried out, which caused the crazing. It is a white pinfire opal, most likely Australian.When an opal has less water in it, it not only crazes but it also loses much of its coloured fire. The leaves are gold through and through, and I agree they look like Black Hills gold. They also often use that stippling on the leaves.I do wonder though, the L.S. Peterson Company is in Massachusetts, but the gold leaves do look like Black Gold jewellery. So, were the leaves made in S. Dakota and bought by L.S.P.? Exactly, it isn't potch, or matrix opal, those are different stones.Matrix opal is opal in the 'mother stone', hence the word matrix (matre - mother). It is usually a brown or ochre stone with lines or spots of opal, which are often very colourful and lively.So this opal is neither potch nor matrix, it is a white pinfire opal that has had a bit of a life.[/QUOTE]