Lightning Ridge Opals Online Buying
Opal Tips - an Opal Bargain - Trash or Treasure?
Lightning Ridge opals - with those flashes of red, blue and green 'fire' from a black base - have fascinated jewellery lovers since their discovery last century. Now that it is possible to buy opal jewellery online, the persuasive term Opal Bargain can inspire a rushed purchase. These few opal tips might help the buyer determine trash or treasure.
Opal Jewellery
When you are offered opal jewellery online or in jewellery stores, make sure you know what you're getting. Is it black opal, boulder opal, white opal or crystal opal? Is it loose opals you're after, rough opal, an opal doublet, opal triplet or solid opal?
Black Opal
Black opal is the most prized in the world as most of it is found within a 70 km radius of Lightning Ridge in NSW, Australia. In particular, opals with red fire on black command high prices, followed by orange, yellow, green and blue. It usually comes with black potch (basic non- fiery opal) behind.
Boulder Opal
Boulder opal sells for 1/3 the price of black opal, and its host rock is ironstone, which can make it more resilient than black opal. As it occurs in thin bands in the rock, boulder opal is often cut into flat, irregular, freeform pieces, rather than domed cabochons.
White Opal
The most common and cheapest form of (solid) opal is white opal. They can, nevertheless, be quite beautiful with their milky, translucent - almost pearl-like, lustre.
Crystal Opal
Crystal opal can have all the fire of a black opal, but is usually transparent or very translucent, rather than black.
Opal Doublets
According to leading opal dealers, Opals Down Under, doublets consist of two layers glued toether. The backing can be black industrial glass, black potch (colourless opal), or even hard plastic. A thin slice of fairly average opal ( why cut up a magnificent stone) is glued on top and usually rounded off so it looks like a cabochon (domed gem).
To check that you're not being sold a doublet as a 'real' opal', turn it side-on and you will see a straight line where it's been glued on the backing. This can be impossible if the gem is already in a setting which masks the sides, and it's difficult even for an expert to tell the difference between a good doublet and a black opal, as the black potch behind brings up the color in the top face.
Go on price. If you're being offered a 'real' opal at a ridiculously low price in a jewellery store, it's certain to be a doublet. Come on, nobody gives away opals valued in thousands of dollars for a measly hundred.
Opal Triplets
Triplets, as the name suggests, come in three parts. The bottom two are identical to doublets, but the sliver of opal can be paper-thin. Glued on top is a domed cap of quarz, glass or plastic. This can magnify the pattern underneath. It does have the advantage of protecting the opal, which is a fragile mineral, so the top can take a few knocks.
Triplets are relatively easy to spot. They have a glassy appearance and, seen from the side, there is no color to be seen. The three layers are usually easier to detect. Triplets are the cheapest version of opal jewellery, so don't be fooled (or fool yourself) into spending big bucks.
How to Choose an Opal
According to Sharon Wild of Gillett's Jewellers, the most important aspect of choice is buying something that, first of all, speaks to you. You have to like what you buy - regardless of bargains, investment value or consumer trends. Opals with brilliant flashes are the must valuable, followed by brights and then relatively low-key performers.
Check for cracks and inclusions under a strong light - cracked opals are worthless. Be aware, also, that Gilson (synthetic) opals are around - they have bright, large patches of color that may have patterns that seem too perfect and even.
Final Tips
It's good practice to ask a dealer for a Certificate of Authenticity. Indeed, it's good practice to only deal with reputatable firms that have been around a good while. Be wary of bargains: good opals are rarely cheap. Check the setting, as good stones are never put into inferior mounts. If it looks cheap, it probably is! The age-old code applies: Let the Buyer Beware!
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