Purchasing an opal is difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with them. You must first choose whether you wish to buy a solid, doublet, or triplet opal. Although more costly, a solid opal is the most significant investment since it is the real deal. Only a tiny portion of opal is present in doublet and triplet opals. These are reasonably priced and quickly breakable, sometimes even when water submerges. Solid opals come in various colours, including black, semi-black, bright, crystal opal. The most costly and best-looking of them are black opals.
Crystal opals are more precise and translucent than other varieties of solid opals. These opals are valuable if there is a dramatic contrast in the colours. A relative of the black opal, which has an ironstone basis, is the boulder opal.
What to look for and know before purchasing opals
Opal may be purchased online just like many other things, which is incredibly easy, primarily if you reside in New York, London, or another nation far from Australia. When you buy directly online, you may compare prices more efficiently and save money by avoiding the high expenditures of visiting a physical store, whose overheads are far higher than those of an online retailer.
To start, some background information on opal in comparison to other stones. Opal may be cut and polished in various ways with various presentations, unlike most gemstones. For example, a diamond, a sapphire, or a ruby can be either natural or artificial.
There are no other varieties outside sapphires, which occasionally come in twos.
Your diamond is either a natural diamond or an artificial one. Either your emerald or sapphire is genuine or manufactured in a lab using a technique created by Pierre Gilson. Other laboratory jewels exceedingly challenging for a beginner to detect have recently been made.
Opal, for instance, is now being created in a lab and, although based on a plastic technique, it has a highly realistic appearance that is nearly hard to distinguish.
Here are a few things you should consider when selecting an opal:
- Size and Shape: Size and shape should be considered when choosing a jewellery set. When purchasing a high-quality stone, consider pairing it with an equally high-quality setting.
- Colour values: Red is the most valued colour, followed by orange, yellow, green, and blue, which are the most prevalent.
- Consider the brightness: A stone with excellent brilliance is desirable regardless of colour or body tone, but it will cost more. Even stones that aren’t considered exceptionally “bright” might be stunning.
- Authenticity Certificates: Ask for a signed proof of authenticity and your opal whenever possible. In addition to helping with insurance and resale value, you are also holding the dealer responsible.
- Cracks and flaws: Any opal seller worth their weight would disclose flaws or imperfections obvious to the unaided eye in a stone. Don’t purchase a stone with cracks; accept natural inclusions and defects. If looking at the stone in person, ensure it’s dry before holding it up to a light source to check for cracks. Be cautious not to confuse opal’s natural formation lines for fractures. A stone that is cracked is essentially useless. The seller must disclose any flaws or cracks in the stone to you before you make a purchase.
Final Thoughts
Crystal opal stones are a unique gem that may provide uniqueness to jewellery. However, you can only do so if you get genuine stones with the ideal form, colour, tone, and brilliance. Otherwise, it won’t be easy to distinguish between the original and a copy.
