There is an endless bounty of eye-catching gemstones throughout the world and this spectacular boulder opal is one unique beauty that looks like a shimmering crystal encased in a tree fossil. Its opalescent sheen seeps through the cracks of the seemingly wooden rings in lustrous hues of emerald green and aqua blue. Like something out of a fairy tale, the triangular piece radiates through an organic pattern mimicking the growth rings of tree.

North Korea has closed its borders in fear of the spread of the Ebola virus. But at a time when the secretive state was still welcoming tourists, former aid worker Andrew Macleod made the journey to the repressive nation. Andrew's holiday snaps and camera footage provide a unique insight into the reclusive country, where he came across deserted motorways, metro stations plastered with propaganda and attractive border guards. Here: a female traffic police officer in the snow in February 2013, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Photo by Andrew Macleod/Barcroft Media)

A rooster bred for its all black appearance walks through the yard of a small backyard farm on February 3, 2017 on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. The roosters, called Ayam Cemani, are completely black including their bones and meat and are often sold for use in rituals. (Photo by Ed Wray/Getty Images)

People look at a 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Touring Spider displayed at Sotheby's in New York City, New York, U.S. July 21, 2016. The car, unveiled in a pre-publicity showing in New York on Thursday, is expected to sell for more than US$15 million – and could set a record for the most money ever paid for a pre-war auto at auction. (Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Thousands of species of amphibians are endangered and hundreds have already disappeared, but in recent years, a team of scientists and conservationists have re-discovered some of these “lost” species and uncovered previously unknown varieties. Here: Miniature glass frog. (Photo by Robin Moore)

A rare Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton Rothschild from 1953 (R) and a bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild from 1982 on January 17, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Vintage car enthusiast Peter Bett, attends a auction at Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club on April 2, 2011 in Glamis, Scotland. Buyers from around the UK and Europe are attending the auction of cars collected by William Cunnigham. Among the many rare classics on sale is a 1939 McEvoy Steyr, thought to be the only one in existence along with a Hotchkiss Grand Sport Roadster from 1936. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Parent hedgehogs Maria, left, and Gosha, 2nd right, eat with their albino babies in a private Zoo in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, August 22, 2013. Three rare albino hedgehog babies, born on the same day as Britain's new prince, have moved into a miniature castle at a Moscow petting zoo. The three are named after the Prince of Cambridge – George, Alexander and Louis. On Thursday, when they turned one month old, they were shown their new home at the All-Russia Exhibition Center. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr./AP Photo)