According
to opal miners, John and Leanne, finding Australia's National
Gemstone is a combination of knowledge, hard work and a lot of
luck.
But, when you're buying some of our national treasure for yourself
or a loved one, hard work is not needed and luck won't cut it.
You have to know what you're looking at, and why two similar looking
pieces have quite different values.
John
says you may save yourself a lot of money if, when choosing
an opal, you keep these few points in mind -
There are two basic varieties of opal mined in Australia - Seam
and Boulder Opal.
The difference is that Seam Opal is found unattached or free
in the ground
Boulder Opal is attached to or within a host ironstone rock.
Seam and Boulder opal both produce three major sub-types.
BLACK OPAL
Which refers to the opaque body colour of the stone which will
be grey, dark blue or black with spectrum colours coming from
the dark background.
CRYSTAL
OPAL
Which is translucent to semi-transparent, without a grey or
milky background, showing brilliant colours from a glossy background.
LIGHT
OPAL
Which has a light to milky background colour. The spectrum colours
coming from light opal are usually more subdued.
Opal is generally valued in the following order. Black Seam
opal (referred to as Black), Boulder Black, Crystal and Light.
The amount and brilliance of colour are of paramount importance.
Milkiness, cloudiness or greyness sheds value. Rarity and popularity
have determined that certain colours attract more value; from
crimson to red, orange to green and then blue. The greater the
number of colours the more prized the gem.
This information applies to natural or solid opal.
Triplets
on the other hand are a thin slice of opal with a backing and
a quartz or glass top.
Doublets are a thicker opal with a backing. Triplets and doublets
are not as valuable as solid gems.
It is important to know what you are looking at. Synthetic opal
is being sold - insist on authenticity in writing.
Be aware also that translucent opal can be darkened by either
painting the back of the opal black or by oxidizing the jewellery.
This brightens the colour and can deceive you into believing
the opal is more valuable than it really is.
Inlaid opal jewellery is a real concern as the opal is very
thin and easily broken. It is virtually impossible to repair
or resize.
Email:
john.leanne@bigpond.com
* * * Phone: 0438 717703
