Gem art on the block: aquamarine gods, opal horses, meteorite skulls

Some amazing works of art are coming up for auction at Bonham’s Los Angeles next week, and I’m not talking Warhol or Matisse. These are as much nature’s works of art as they are human-made, but I have always had a particular admiration for sculptors who take on gemstones. Technically, these are sculptures, but like all lapidary art, they are as much about color and light as form.

First up: an entire sale devoted to opal, on November 23, something I’ve come to look forward to this time of year. Opals on the block in Los Angeles are expected to sell for as much as a quarter million each. Following day’s sale is devoted entirely to lapidary arts, gems and minerals, and includes an aquamarine carving of Poseidon wrestling an octopus that’s expected to sell for as much as $200,000, and a life-size skull carved from Gibeon meteorite. Only in L.A., my friends!