Hvad man skal kigge efter, når man køber opaler

Da der er mange aspekter, man skal overveje, når man køber opaler, En guide kan være nyttig. Efter at have været forbundet med opal minedrift, Skæring og forarbejdning til smykker til over 40 flere år, jeg, Peter Brusaschi, er godt kvalificeret til at vise dig, hvad du skal kigge efter, når du vælger og køber opaler, der passer til dine behov.

Sådan fortæller du en opal af god kvalitet. Hvad man skal kigge efter, når man køber opaler? Værdien af ​​opal pr. Karat eller efter stykke er sandsynligvis den første ting at vide, og prisen er markant påvirket af opals præsentation, type, Lysstyrke, farvespil, mønster, og Mangel på ufuldkommenheder.

Opal sten betydning: Collins Dictionary

Jeg har skitseret under en omfattende analyse af ikke kun hvad jeg skal kigge efter, når jeg køber opaler, men hvordan de forskellige typer opaler ser ud, og hvilken der bedst passer til dit budget og din personlighed.

Værdi og størrelse (Opal stenpris)

Den første ting at huske på er, at opale stenværdier meget vedrører:

-en. om stenen er en solid opal, En dublet, en triplet, eller matrix

b. om det er en hvid, krystal, kampesten, eller sort opal

c. Stensens lysstyrke, mængden af ​​farve, mønsteret og manglen på ufuldkommenheder.

Som antydet nedenfor rulle ned til hvor artiklen diskuterer forskellen mellem disse sten under overskriften og se på det her Artikel, jeg har skrevet om emnet

Størrelse is established usually by the internationally accepted decimal system of millimeters. The length of the stone being listed first followed by the width (dvs. 10×8 mm) 10 mm is approx. 3/8″ conversion chart her for USA readers.

Vægt is recorded in Carets using a special scale. A 10×8 mm opal weighs between 1 til 1.75 carats depending on the height of the stone.

Opal Stone Price is generally measured against the value of black opal. Low-grade black opal can be around $50 per karat. Good quality blue opal from around $500 per karat. Green opal to green – orange up to $1000 per carat and more.

Stones with dominant red are the rarest opals, combined with blues, Grønne, yellows and many variations can be priced from $5000 til $20,000 per carat depending on the brilliance of the stone and its background darkness. Brandopalpriser diskuteres ikke, fordi udtrykket generelt anvendes til mexicanske opaler, som ofte kun er en farve uden et spil af opalescens.

Opale priser pr. Gram er begrænset til ru opal, der også sælges i pakker uden vægt.

Præsentation af opaler (Sådan fortæller du en opal af god kvalitet)

Først, En ordbogsdefinition af selve stenen. Der er udviklet et opalt farvekort, men dette kan være meget forvirrende, og de subtile forskelle i baggrundsskygger og glans er ofte i betragtningens øje. Efter min mening er det bedst at studere billedet omhyggeligt og beslutte, om du personligt kan lide det eller ej, og kommunikere med sælgeren personligt. Opal

Følgende information giver dig et meget omfattende resume af hele Opal -industrien, Hvis du kan lide, kan du springe ned til afsnittet 'Hvad du skal kigge efter', men hvis du har nogen tid og overvejer at du muligvis tager en beslutning om at bruge et betydeligt beløb, Følgende detaljer giver dig en bedre baggrund for at hjælpe dig med at tage den rigtige beslutning.

At finde information om opaler er meget lettere i dag end det var lige 20 år siden, Før internettets alder. Det første indlæg på internettet fra www.opalmine.com var inde 1996 Og siden det år er der foretaget mange ændringer på stedet og selvfølgelig, Google har udviklet sig til den fantastiske kilde til information, vi har i dag (2019)

I modsætning til de gamle dage, I dag er det ikke så svært at finde information om det mest fantastiske ædelsten, opal. Ofte er opaler forbundet med et land, nemlig, Australien, som fra et europæisk synspunkt kun er et ungt land, At være omkring 200 år gammel siden indvandrere fra dette område migrerede.

Men fra et geologisk synspunkt, Det er meget gammelt, og disse fascinerende perler lægger sovende i den australske ørken i meget lang tid.

Selvfølgelig, Aboriginals, De første indbyggere har været her i tusinder af år, Men de var mest interesseret i de ting i livet, der virkelig betyder noget. Nemlig, At finde et sted behageligt at leve med masser af vand og mad. De var ikke så interesserede i pyntegjenstander og ville sandsynligvis ikke have set sansen ved at grave i jorden på udkig efter stykker rock.

Faktisk, Den opale mineby Coober Pedy blev navngivet af aboriginerne og betyder 'hvid mand i et hul', og det må ikke have gjort meget mening for de tidlige indbyggere, at folk ville gider at grave i den australske outback -varme.

Især i betragtning af at de værktøjer, de havde i de tidlige dage, ikke bestod af bulldozere, ryggro, og gravemaskiner. Det var bare en pick- og skovlepisode.

Backtracking lidt til emnet 'hvad man skal kigge efter ved at købe opaler' er det temmelig indlysende, at hvis du vil købe noget, er det en god ide at konsultere med nogen, der har praktisk engagement i det emne, der overvejes.

I dette tilfælde opal. Men inden vi går videre ind i det, Lad os se på de typer opaler, der tilbydes i forskellige lande i verden, Fordi Australien ikke er den eneste kilde.

Opale kilder og historie

Opals historie går langt tilbage i historien. Faktisk, til tidspunktet for de gamle romere, hvoraf nogle satte pris på stenen meget. Kilden til disse antiksten var Europa. For at være specifik var det moderne dag Slovakiet. Disse opaler i fortiden har været kendt som ungarsk, men det var på et tidspunkt, hvor Slovakiet var en del af den ungarske verdensmagt, hvilket ikke er tilfældet i dag.

De fleste af opalserne fra dette område er blevet udvindet. Der er opaler fra Afrika, Indonesien, Mexico, Brasilien, for at nævne et par stykker, Og mange af dem er meget smukke perler. Imidlertid, Opale producenter og forhandlere ved, at australske Opal er den mest pålidelige, fordi det har haft en lang eksistens i de meget tørre områder på dette kontinent og er mere sikker end de fleste andre opaler, hvoraf mange, at være Hydrofan, er i stand til at opsuge en masse fugt og er meget porøse. Etiopean opal pris pr. Karat er ikke opført på dette sted, fordi vi ikke sælger dem, og som sagt tilskynder vi ikke til deres brug i smykker.

Farven kan forsvinde, når den er gennemvædet i vand, hvilket er ok, hvis farven kommer tilbage. Men normalt for at få farven til at returnere skal den tørres ud enten i solen eller under en varm, der kan være risikabel for denne type opal, der let kan dille eller revne.

Hvad man skal vide og kigge efter, når du køber opaler online

Internetkøb af opal som med mange produkter er meget praktisk. Især hvis du bor i New York eller London eller et andet land langt væk fra Australien. At købe direkte fra internettet betyder det lettere at sammenligne, og du kan undgå de høje omkostninger, der er forbundet med at gå til en butik, hvor omkostninger er meget dyrere end at køre en butik online.

Nogle baggrundsoplysninger om opal i modsætning til andre perler først. I modsætning til de fleste ædelstene, Opal kan skæres og poleres på forskellige måder med forskellige præsentationer. Ved hjælp af en diamant, en safir, eller en rubin for et eksempel, Disse sten er enten ægte eller syntetiske. Der er ingen andre variationer undtagen for safirer, som undertiden er blevet præsenteret som dubletter (i to stykker)

Enten er din diamant en rigtig diamant eller en syntetisk. Din smaragd eller safir er enten ægte eller dyrket i et laboratorium, såsom proceduren udviklet af Pierre Gilson I den seneste tid er der produceret andre laboratorie ædelstene.

Opal, for eksempel, produceres nu i et laboratorium, og selvom den er baseret på en plastproces, præsentere et meget overbevisende look-alike, der næsten er umuligt at opdage.

At gøre tingene endnu værre, Det bemærkes, at selv såkaldte respektable online-websteder, sælge disse lab opaler som ægte. Nogle er mere kunstige ved at rapportere, at de er laboratorieproduceret, men forklaringen er ofte skjult i en spærring af information, der ikke let bemærkes.

Ved rapportering af dette, Det er ikke vores intention om at nedbryde skønheden i nogle af de syntetiske perler. Der er et sted for alle typer pyntegjenstander og sten inklusive modesmykker og for dem, der ikke har råd til de rigtige ting, Det er et fremragende alternativ. Så længe du ikke køber noget, der ikke lever op til dine forventninger.

Derfor er det vigtigt at håndtere et opal firma med et fremragende omdømme, der er optjent i mange års tid.

Hvor sandt er online billeder af opaler?

Billeder er vigtige for at vide, hvad de skal kigge efter ved at købe opaler. Opal er en af ​​de vanskeligste genstande at fotografere. Især krystal eller hvid opal. Hvis du lægger hvid opal i en hvid baggrund, ser det virkelig syg ud, og nogle gange forsvinder farven næsten, da du vil bemærke med nogle af de frygtelige billeder online.

Men hvis du lægger det på en sort baggrund, stenen bliver for skarp og vasket ud. Her skal fotografen lære at få lige den rigtige mængde lys i en makrolinse, så de subtile farver viser.

Det er meget lettere med sort og Boulder Opal enten på en sort eller hvid baggrund. Men for at holde det konsistente nogle steder, inklusive opalmin.com, skal du bruge sort fløjlbaggrund for at holde præsentationen konsistent.

Du vil bemærke, at en masse blå opaler viser en flash af lilla, der ikke findes i selve Opal. Meget få kameraer er i stand til at fotografere blå opaler nøjagtigt. Det er nødvendigt at forsøge at rette op på dette så meget som muligt af sælgeren, men husk bare, at hvis du køber en blå på Black Opal, og der er rødt i det, der ikke er blevet forklaret af sælgeren, Sørg for at spørge, om det virkelig er en rød sten, eller du kan blive skuffet.

Vi har bemærket, at smartphone -internetsøgning har en tendens til at overdrive farven på ikke kun opal, men al grafik. Det er en god ide, hvis du bruger betydelige penge til, Under alle omstændigheder skal du søge på din smartphone, uanset hvor du er placeret, men prøv at tage et endeligt kig og foretage ordren fra et skrivebord, hvis det er muligt, hvor du får en mere præcis idé om, hvad du køber, og det vil være lettere at udfylde ordreoplysningerne.

De forskellige måder, som Opal præsenteres på

Som tidligere nævnt, De fleste ædelstene er normalt faste stykker af ru materiale skåret og enten facetteret eller udformet til en kuppel. Den eneste ting at bestemme bortset fra at sikre dig, at du ikke køber en syntetisk eller menneskeskabt perle, er de forskellige kvaliteter af stenen, der gør forskellen i pris.

Imidlertid, Opal kan præsenteres som faste stoffer, dubletter, tripletter eller Andamooka -matrix, Og det er godt at vide, hvordan man identificerer dem. Her er en klar beskrivelse af, hvad det betyder:

Solid opal:

Som navnet antyder, Solid Opal er lige hvad det siger. Et solidt stykke ru opal, der er skåret, formet, og poleret. Usually with a dome and rarely as facets. I tilfælde af opal, round-topped or cabochon (French word for ‘head’) shapes are more practical because they are not so susceptible to breaking.

Doublet Opal:

Når et stykke ru opal ikke er tyk nok til at skære og polere som et solidt, Det kan indstilles på en mørk eller sort baggrund ved hjælp af Black Opal Potch eller Brown Boulder Ironstone.

Kalibrerede dubletter indstilles ofte på mikroskopglas. Så, En af grundene til at gøre dubletter er at gøre det bedst muligt at bruge dyre ru opal ved at give baggrundsstøtte til tyndere sten.

En anden grund er at gøre farven på Opal mere imponerende og dynamisk, fordi den tyndere og opal er på en mørk baggrund, Ofte den lysere og mere strålende bliver det, Og dette er meget tiltalende for bæreren.

Dubletter er en måde at give opal til folk, der ikke har råd til at bruge tusinder af dollars på solid sort eller Boulder opaler. Doublets er stadig ægte, Ikke-syntetiske opaler til en overkommelig pris.

Triplet Opal.

Det samme princip gælder for triplet opaler bortset fra at opalen normalt er tyndere og ofte endda lysere. Ordet triplet får sit navn fra ordet tredobbelt, hvilket indebærer noget i tre sektioner.

Opale tripletter er lukket med en klar krystalplade, der beskytter stenen mod slid og gør det også lettere at indstille, især når valget af indstilling er af kløer. Det er meget vanskeligt barneseng tæt kløer på en dublet opal uden at skære den. Meget lettere med en triplet.

Opal Value Guide: Hvordan man fortæller, om en opal er solid, dublet, eller triplet

Selvfølgelig, Anerkendte forhandlere vil fortælle dig det alligevel, men hvis du ser på en sten offline, Den bedste måde er at tage et billede af kanten af ​​stenen, Indlæs det på din computer og forstør den, så du kan se sammenkoblingslinjen, hvis det er en dublet eller triplet.

Forstørrelsen viser den cement, der holder de to eller tre stykker sammen

Hvis stenen allerede er indstillet i et vedhæng eller en ring, Der er virkelig ingen måde at fortælle, medmindre du trækker varen til bits, Så i dette tilfælde, Du skal stole på leverandørens ærlighed, hvilket understreger behovet for altid at håndtere en velrenommeret erfaren leverandør.

 

De forskellige typer australsk opal

Boulder Opal

De første opaler, der findes i Australien i henhold til de bedste historiske kilder, som vi kender til, blev opdaget i outback -områderne i Queensland i den nordøstlige del af kontinentet. Boulder Opal var den originale Opal Stone, der blev fundet på dette kontinent omkring midten af ​​det nittende århundrede

At være specifik, 'Out West' som det kaldes i Australien, I nærheden af ​​byerne Winton mod nord, Blackall mod syd, Quilpie længere nede, Yowah og Koroit mod NSW -grænsen.

Disse fantastiske perler findes som vener af regnbuefarver i brune jernstenklipper, der kan variere i størrelse fra meter i de nordlige marker til størrelsen af ​​småsten i Yowah og Koroit -områderne. Mange af felterne deler størrelser på stenblokke. Koroit for eksempel mines lignende stenblokke som Quilpie og Winton.

I de førnævnte opale miner, Der er forskellige kategorier af opal, der præsenteres som følger:

1. Ren ansigt Boulder Opal som kan have en lille kuppel eller en plan overflade. These boulders are also cut with an undulating surface as the result of the opal cutters dental equipment following the various ups and downs of the veins being exposed.
2. These stones are top quality gems which are often sold in carats as well as in sizes. Valuation-wise, they can often be compared with the black opals of Lightning Ridge which we will discuss later.

3. Boulder opal ‘fun stones’

   

   A term assigned to them for the want of some way to describe them. Disse sten er skåret og poleret, hvilket efterlader noget af moderens jernsten i forgrunden, hvilket giver en interessant kontrast været chokolade -jernsten og opalfarven.

4. Disse sten kan være meget interessante, Ironstone etablerer for alle at se, at stenen er en naturlig perle, ikke på nogen måde syntetisk.
5. De kommer ofte med fantastiske billeder og abstrakte mønstre, der individualiserer dem og giver dem personlighed. Denne type opal appellerer især til folk, der ønsker at styre væk fra traditionen og vise noget jordisk og mere unikt.
6. En anden appel er, at de normalt er meget billigere end de rene ansigter. Men selvfølgelig, Dette afhænger af den ovennævnte farve og mønster.
7. Boulder Opal Matrix er en anden variation til Boulder Opal. The term ‘matrix’ actually comes from the word ‘mother’ or ‘womb’ In this case the small splashes of opal color peep out from between the ironstone.
8. The ironstone becomes the mother to the opal. The color often shows throughout the face of the stone. Both the ironstone and the opal are polished with diamond tools together so that it gives a brown effect with multi-colored highlights.

Opal Value Guide:

What to be careful of when buying Boulder Opal

It is possible to present a boulder opal that is made to look like a solid opal but is, faktisk, En dublet. Husk det, like black opals, boulder opal color is only on the surface of the stone, not right throughout. The material that makes up the whole stone is the ironstone ‘mother’ which is left naturally on the back of the opal.

Usually to identify a doublet, that is an opal made by cementing a thin slice of opal onto a dark background, you look at the edge of the stone and when you see a straight line joining the opal top to the background, you can see easily that it’s a doublet unless the stone is already in a setting.

But the opal cutter, by mixing some powdered ironstone with epoxy resin, can fill the area in the middle with a mixture that looks like ironstone and leave the edge of the stone uneven. This looks for the world like a solid boulder opal but it is, faktisk, En dublet.

This is fine of course if the seller identifies it as such, but some unscrupulous dealers may not reveal this and you could be paying the price of a solid boulder opal and in fact be getting a doublet which may be worth as little as a quarter of the price.

Take a look in the section below which describes how to identify the different ways opal is presented to learn more about solids, dubletter, og trillinger.

If you need help in identifying a stone like this, don’t hesitate to click the HELP button at the bottom of this page, or leave a question in the blog and Peter will do what he can to assist. Opal stone benefits if it is australian is that it is a secure item that will not lose its color.

Krystal opal

The term ‘crystal’ is not a technically accurate way of describing light-colored, translucent, or jelly-like opal because opal is not a crystalline stone. The term was first used by the old miners who needed a way of describing a stone that was not opaque but was more see-through and I guess the first thing that came to their mind was perhaps a crystal vase or glass.

When developing the opal nomenclature a few years ago, the committee was tempted to drop this word and replace it with something more accurate, but they decided to retain the terminology because it had been in use for so long and was an integral part of the vocabulary of opal dealers and jewellers.

Traditionally and historically most opals were in the crystal category. Other terms such as white opal and milk opal have been used. If we focus on the Australian Crystal opals, they were first found in White Cliffs a town on the New South Wales side of the South Australian border, not far from the famous iron town of Broken Hill.

At one time this opal field was the largest in the world but when the opal ran out, it was replaced with Coober Pedy, Andamooka and other surrounding fields like Mintabee and Lamina, all in South Australia but existing further north towards the center of Australia, Alice Springs.

Medium grade opal crystal is used to manufacture the very popular opal triplets and a very large industry has been built up around that stone based in the supply from Coober Pedy and processing often done in the capital city Adelaide to the south.

What to be careful of when buying Crystal Opal

Crystal opal found in various parts of the world as well as in some parts of Australia where its location is closer to the coast and other damp areas is notorious for cracking or crazing because of its high-water content.

Areas such as Tintenbar near the NSW coast produces a really beautiful crystal as well as black crystal opal but if used for jewelry purposes in most cases, at least in the experience of the author, crack in time and are best avoided.

Other fields in Australia have the same reputation and experienced dealers are conscious of this and avoid dealing in them.

The problem is that if you are buying off the net, there is no way of telling unless it is declared in the sales description in which case they are best avoided. You need to deal only with experienced opal distributors with a reputation for guaranteeing products and replacing them should there be a problem.

In recent years a lot of opal has come out of Africa, specifically named ‘Wello’ opal. These gems are really beautiful but can lose color if they come in contact with water and even though it is often stated that they are not cracky again, in my experience, this is not the case.

I recently cut a parcel of this opal for a customer and I could feel that it had a ‘soapy’ feel to it on the grinder and because it had to be cut using water on the diamond grinder, it lost color when the job was complete. I advised the customer to put it in the sun for a while and dry it out.

Forhåbentlig, the color came back but this sort of result is risky. The problem is that you could spend hundreds of dollars on special settings only to have a stone that has either cracked or loses color. Better to use stones like this as specimens for a collection and not for jewelry.

So if you invest in one of these stones, you will need to be confident that you will either get your money back if it cracks or loses color, or be replaced with a secure Australian Opal.

Keep in mind too that if the crystal opal is very translucent, and if it is photographed on a dark or black background, the resultant color will give a wrong impression and will, faktisk, look more like a black opal than a crystal because the dark background will influence the color of the face of the stone.

If the item being sold is not presented with a lighter background such as the human hand, it’s probably best to request another picture. This would generally just apply if the stone is quite clear, almost glass like. If the white or crystal opal is more opaque, the background will not affect the foreground as much.

Black Opal stone

Lightning Ridge and black opal are synonymous. When this stone was first discovered in this western NSW town, again it was a challenge to know what to call it. Farven, when found in the rough, was associated with black rather than white or pale potch (unformed opal) By leaving the black potch in the background of the color, as mentioned before in the discussion about boulder opal, the result was a more stunning outstanding gem.

And because it was the black potch in the background that created the effect the decision was to call it black opal. desværre, the term can be very confusing for the novice because it sounds like black opals are black which is anything but the case.

So just to clarify. Black opals are called such because they have a black or dark background. The foreground is full of color which can be any shade of the rainbow.

The term ‘black opal’ can rightly be shared by stones from Lightning Ridge as well as boulder opals from the Queensland field, even though traditionally the name is assigned only to the Ridge.

Reasoning on the subject though, because boulder opal is backed naturally by dark, sometimes black boulder ironstone, the same effect is achieved and so rightly they can be referred to as black opals. Selvfølgelig, this would only apply if the background is black enough to give the same effect as the Lightning Ridge variety.

Opal Value Guide:

What to be careful of when buying Black Opal

As with all other opals, the main focus of attention with black opal is the quality of the color. A system of grading has been established based on the body tone and brightness of the stone. In the experience of the author, trying to use a system like this online just confuses the buyer.

The variations between one stone on a chart like this is often very subtle and not easy to identify. Computer screens vary in the way color is shown. In our opinion, its best to just look at a stone and if it appeals to your eye it is the right opal for you.

You can always request more pictures and if there is an international guarantee in place you can always return it for a replacement or cash.

The one thing you have to be careful of is if the supplier sells you an unset stone and does a design and manufacture of the stone into a finished piece of jewelry, the piece is probably not returnable because in this case other partner jewellers are involved in the process who would have been paid for their work and it is impossible to return.

Så, if this is your concern, make sure the stone is definitely the one you want. Even if you the shipping to inspect it before the job is done, it could be worth the outlay. Selvfølgelig, if the job that is completed is in itself not up to standard, there would be a correction of the problem without cost.

Matrix Opal

There are two types of matrix opal. We have listed and explained natural boulder opal matrix above so this does not need to be repeated. But the other type is called ‘Andamooka Matrix’ and this is a totally different kind of stone. Although it is also a natural stone, it has been treated with a sugar solution that changes the stone from a pale to a dark color, giving it a black opal appearance.

En gang til, this method of enhancing the stone is acceptable as long as the dealer tells you what it is so that you can make sure you are not paying expensive black opal prices for something that is not a true black opal.

It can be difficult to tell an Andamooka matrix stone from a black opal if you are a novice but generally speaking, the Andamooka Matrix pattern is nearly always (but not always) a pinfire pattern.

This means that the color is presented in fine pinpricks or dots rather than a broader pattern. If it is a broad pattern, you will notice little feathery lines between the patterns that you don’t get in solid black opal. Imidlertid, if the online dealer has a good reputation, these details will always be stated. Nowadays Andamooka matrix is not sold very much so usually its not an issue.

What to be careful of when buying Matrix Opal

The main thing to be careful of is that you are not paying black opal prices for a treated stone. Very little goes wrong with Andamooka Matrix. There have been no reports about cracking or losing color.

How to establish the size of an opal

This can be a problem online because many images on opal websites are much smaller than they look. Its easy for an image processor to photograph a tiny stone such as something like a 7×5 mm oval (approx.3/16”) and make it look huge online and even if the size is stated, it gets very confusing.

Så, look for sellers who include some recognizable object in one of the pictures such as a dime coin or the human hand or finger, or a box of matches in one of the images so that at a glance you can imagine the size of the stone.

Have sagt, at, the official way of describing the size or weight of a stone, it would be stated in millimeters which is a more internationally recognized measurement. Imidlertid, countries such as the USA and others have retained the fractions system, and this can be confusing.

If you live in the USA and are confused, just look for a live chat help button on the site and ask for more details, if both sizes are not listed.

The other more traditional way of measuring a gemstone is in terms of Karat (not to be confused with Karats which is a gold metal measurement) The Carat was originally the seed of a carob tree. The ancients noticed that each of these seeds are almost the same in weight, so it was a convenient way of measuring small things, I dette tilfælde, gemstones.

The carat system is used with opals in many cases and the carat weight is often listed but it has become more the custom with opal to just show the measurement particularly for boulder opals. Its easier to see what you are getting by the tape measure than by something that is more ambiguous.

Carat weights of stones are often not listed if the item you are buying is a piece of jewelry such as a ring or pendant. Often the stone is set before it is weighed so its impossible to know its carat weight after its set. But anyway, as stated the size tells you more than the weight.

Opal Shapes

There are many shapes such as oval, rektangel, square, triangular, and free form traditionally the most popular is oval but in recent times the free-form shapes have become very popular, particularly in boulder opal. Freeform means that the stone is of no particular shape.

When the opal cutter processes the stone, he bases the shape on the position of the color and rather than waste precious opal but trimming it away and forcing it into a particular shape, he saves this color and just allows the stone to evolve into a shape of its own.

This practice while making it more difficult for the jeweler who has to hand-make rather than cast each piece, individualizes the stone more and offers much more design potential because the free form shape is very creative and inspires the jeweler to come up with original designs.

Have sagt, at, the originality of the opal stone itself is often enough to inspire a wearer and many prefer to have a plain design and allow the gem itself to make a statement.

Opal Color play

The thing that makes opal totally different from most other gemstones is the variations in color that are presented as the stone changes position. ‘Color play’ as its called refers to this change of color phenomenon. Some opals keep full color in various shades from whatever angle you hold the stone.

This feature is what makes the difference between what is termed a ‘gem’ color and just color by itself. Online, look for graphics that show the stone from at least three directions so that you can see what the stone looks like from different angles.

Colors in opal can be any shade of the rainbow. Some opals seem to have all the colors rolled into one. Others feature theme colors such as blue, blue-green (predominantly blue), grøn-blå (predominantly green),, orange, crimson and red. Color preferences depend on your own personal likes and that is why opal is sometimes called ‘the personality stone’ because it can match your own personality in the matter of fashion.

From a dealer’s point of view, red-themed opals are the most valuable because they are rarer. Then comes orange, orange-grøn, grøn, grøn-blå, blue and blue-green. Combined with the color of opal is the pattern. En gang til, the rarer the pattern is, the more valuable it becomes.

Recently I was asked by a very rich person to find a harlequin red themed opal that they were willing to pay up to $100,000 til. desværre, the sale did not eventuate because the stone could not be found.

Realistically though, most opals in demand have a broad mixed pattern and red stones in this category can be offered for around $10,000 per carat which makes a stone of three carats around the $30,000 mark.

But the beauty of opal is that there are thousands of variations of stones that can satisfy the average person without spending such a large amount. Faktisk, at the opalmine site, there are nice little opal triplets with lots of colors for under $50 and they are not synthetic.

Opal Imperfections

When the opal cutter processes the stone from rough to completion, he or she is looking for flaws in the stone that has to be either cut out or sanded down. In the case of crystal and black opal, any potch lines or imperfections are unacceptable unless it is being made a feature of as is the case with boulder opal. But generally speaking, these imperfections must be removed.

Sometimes either a crack or a natural potch line will appear right through the middle of an otherwise perfect stone. This can be very disappointing for the opal cutter and usually, the decision is made to cut the stone in two along the faulty line, making two stones.

Because the two pieces are from the same opal pattern the two pieces can often be made into a pair of matching earrings.

When you are buying opal, you can keep this in mind and make sure you are not buying an inferior product. Sometimes translucent black or boulder opal can show slight marks or lines deep within the stone. Although this may take away from the value of the stone, it is quite acceptable because its part of the stone itself, it’s not a crack.

Selvfølgelig, if the imperfection is easily seen and is dramatic, this would take away from its value and would normally cause the opal cutter to cut the stone in two along the lines of the imperfection.

Opal Patterns

What are opal patterns? What to look for in buying opals involves getting to know about them. Godt, to use a piece of cloth used for making a dress as an example. The cloth might have no pattern at all, just plain cloth, or it could have a floral pattern, an abstract pattern, polka dot, striped, pictorial as in someone’s face or an animal. The list is endless. Opal is similar.

The pattern descriptions in opal are based on things in everyday life. A shape or feature might remind you of a face, an ocean scene, a celestial scene, or anything else you can think of. In the case of the harlequin pattern which is the most valuable.

The name is borrowed from the squarish spangles on the outfit of a circus clown.

Harlequin has squarish defined patterns and is extremely rare. It has become the custom in recent times to include patterns that are not always square in the Harlequin analogy. As long as the patterns have defined edges.

Some stones have partial harlequin features and although cannot be described as pure Harlequin, can be described as having these features.

How to tell if an opal is real or-Synthetic Opal

Also known as ‘LAB’ opal short for Laboratory. The creation of synthetic opal began in the early seventies. I første omgang, it was easy to spot because even though it had good colors, the patterns gave it away as something not natural.

Imidlertid, over the years the process has been refined to the point that the average person would not be able to easily tell the difference which has created a major problem, particularly when buying opal online.

This information is not intended to denigrate the product which has its own beauty, but rather to make sure that shoppers don’t pay for something that they are not getting.

If you are happy to wear costume jewelry made of glass or other pretty trinkets, det er fint. Economics often demand control of our buying habits.

Have sagt, at, it is really nice to be able to say that you are wearing a jewelry item that is real, natural, right out of the ground and as mentioned in other parts of this article, there is no need to spend a huge amount of money on an opal if you are limited financially.

You can opt for a nice opal doublet or triplet or an inexpensive white opal and enjoy the brilliance of these stones without having to commit to hundreds of dollars on expensive black and boulder opals.

Since as stated it’s very difficult for the uninitiated to tell the difference, a quick way of knowing is by price. If you are being offered a solid opal as a pendant or ring or something else at a ridiculous price such as $20 or so you can pretty well guarantee that it’s synthetic or another name being ‘lab’ or ‘laboratory’ opal.

Som regel, ethical retailers will tell you this but the problem is that the detail is often hidden in a lot of explanation which people don’t bother reading. So checking for synthetics is what to look for in buying opals if you don’t want to be disappointed.

Read the fine print and if you don’t have the time contact the seller and ask them frankly.

This article is helpful to identify synthetics and getting to know more about what to look for when buying opals

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