opal experts -- does this look lab-created to you?

[GemFever]

Hi!

I bought an opal ring on ebay about a month ago, and was totally thrilled with it. It was gorgeous. I then gave it away as a gift and I still miss it a bit, but it's in good hands, so I'm happy.

But, now I'm having some doubts whether the stone was natural. It definitely was not a doublet, but perhaps the entire piece was lab created? I just saw another opal on ebay with similar characteristics and described as lab created. If I hadn't seen the description, I would have though it to be a perfectly beautiful natural stone

I'll include a few pics of the ring I bought, as well as what I *thought* created opals usually looked like.

... now that I'm looking up lab opals... maybe this is a Gilson opal? Lots of pretty pics coming up for that. How can one tell?

 

[GregS]

It looks like an Ethiopian Opal to me. Ethiopian Opals that size aren't terribly rare or expensive...

 

[GemFever]

Does it? I thought Ethiopian opals had more of a transparent body and orangish undertones. This ring was vintage (not sure how vintage though), and I'm under the impression that Ethiopian opals are relatively new...

 

[bobsiv]

It looks to me like it might be synthetic. There are a couple of red flags; one is the fairly regular shapes of the POC. Another is the purple/violet. This is a rare color that is usually only visible from a certain angle when it's natural. It looks like your photos show it from multiple angles with the same color. The one thing I'm almost sure of is that it isn't Ethiopian.

 

[GemFever]

Thanks for your input bobsiv!

Umm.. what's POC?

So.. the color purple and violet is kind of a giveaway for synthetics then? Good to know...

Thanks!

 

[GemFever]

Here's a pic of the ebay opal that's described as lab created. Is this definitely a lab-created look for an opal?

 

[chrono]

It doesn't look Ethopian to me but does fall into the too good to be true category. There is a variety of looks for synthetic opals so to say one or the other is typical would not be accurate.

 

[junebug17]

Thanks for your input bobsiv!

Umm.. what's POC?

So.. the color purple and violet is kind of a giveaway for synthetics then? Good to know...

Thanks!

I googled it - play of color.

 

[bobsiv]

Yup, there are a lot of different kinds of fakes out there. Some of which are very tough to identify. The easier ones to spot (like the one pictured above) have a fairly diagnostic regularity in the patterns of play of color (POC). If the play of color patterns are very even across the stone in a 2D layer and look like confetti, with very sharply defined edges from all angles, odds are it's synthetic. Other synthetics however, like Gilsons, don't show this regularity. Purple/violet does occur naturally, but it's caused by red and blue stacked on top of each other so the shade usually shifts as the viewing angle moves.

 

[GemFever]

Chrono, you're right about it being too good to be true. But that's the fun of ebay! Gotta be careful.

Junebug: Thanks! I started googling but got "Proto-Oceanic (abbr. POc) is a protolanguage..." Should have narrowed down my search to opals

thanks bobsiv! I'll keep those tips in mind when looking.


Now... to tell the gift recipient regarding the nature of the opal, or not to tell... Maybe if she asks.

I wonder, if I still had it, how would I feel about it now, knowing it's synthetic. It was so prettyy...

 

[GregS]

I see the violet color now. Learned something new.

 

[minousbijoux]

Gem: I don't own any opals (well, one small crystal opal) but I love them. I love the POC (learned a new acronym), particularly the ones that have the full color wheel, which of course would be outrageously expensive. Personally, I love that ring and the stone. I love the stone because it does not look as defined - for lack of a better word - as the Gilson but has what looks to be a great color range.

Perhaps the fact that its a synthetic would mean it has greater durability? That alone would make me happy, as I know I could not wear an opal for any length of time without considerable damage...

In any case, I think its quite pretty. As to telling your friend, I'm not good at keeping quiet about such things so I would tell her you have your suspicions and leave it at that, but others might not agree.

 

[GemFever]

GregS > that's what PS is good for, learning all this new stuff

Minous > I like your way of looking at it! It's definitely still a pretty ring. The friend is actually my mom's friend, and is more like an aunt to me. We don't casually chat all that much, but if the ring comes up in conversation one day, I'll mention my recent conclusions.

Thanks everyone!

 

[iLander]

Here's a pic of the ebay opal that's described as lab created. Is this definitely a lab-created look for an opal?

Yes, because the POC areas are too regular, without interruption. It's almost like a checkerboard. In real opal, there is a lot of dead space, areas of just milky color, without a bright colorful reflection. And the POC areas are all a similar shape. In real opal they can be streaks, or bands, or blops, or all kinds of things.

If the ring you purchased was a real opal, it should have cost around $5,000.

 

[kenny]

I thought POC was a very low quality opal as in ,,, Piece Of C#@%.

 

[GemFever]

$5K? I got it for $260. Well, I figure the gold and labor makes it worth it, even with a pretty synthetic. Will be more careful next time! thanks for your input iLander.

Kenny:

 

[minousbijoux]

Now I've learned a new technical term - "blop." So Greg, you learned something and I learned something...

 

[chrono]

For $260, it is even more likely to be synthetic for such a pretty opal but you also got a good price in the setting alone.

 

[GemFever]

It was a 70% best offer, and was accepted. I thought it was low for the pretty ring... but the seller is kind of a mediocre pawn shop, so I thought hey, maybe they just want to sell it. At least it's pretty though.

 

[LD]

iLander???? $5k?????? No way! I've bought larger opals for far less!

At the end of the day you paid a decent price (considering the size/metal of the setting). You gave it with a warm heart to a friend and I'm quite sure the fact that it was a present is far more important to her than whether it's natural or lab created.

Don't worry about it. It's a pretty ring and I'm sure your friend enjoys wearing it.

 

[JewelFreak]

That's a really good price for the setting alone, which I think is very pretty, btw. I'm sure your friend will like wearing it simply as a lovely piece of jewelry, whether or not the opal is synthetic. Especially since it came from you. I'd probably handle it just as you said -- next time I talked to her, mention the possibility, but without testing, who can be sure? -- let her enjoy it either way she decides to think of it. You're a honey to have found it for her!

--- Laurie

 

[GemFever]

Thanks LD and JewelFreak!

 

[iLander]

iLander???? $5k?????? No way! I've bought larger opals for far less!

At the end of the day you paid a decent price (considering the size/metal of the setting). You gave it with a warm heart to a friend and I'm quite sure the fact that it was a present is far more important to her than whether it's natural or lab created.

Don't worry about it. It's a pretty ring and I'm sure your friend enjoys wearing it.

I meant if the POC was really so regular, with such a variety of tones, and in that large size. I'm guessing that's a 12 x 18 opal? I've seen opal pricing vary all over the board, so I took a stab at it.

Or maybe you should just give us your sources, young lady?

 

[Lee Little]

It looks like a synthetic to me but pictures of Opal are difficult by nature.
Never saw a Welo like that but again, just a picture.
Synthetic Opal is still pretty, stable too! Best regards, Lee

 

[GemFever]

Thanks for your input Lee!

 

[Quantz Studios]

Thanks for your input bobsiv!

Umm.. what's POC?

So.. the color purple and violet is kind of a giveaway for synthetics then? Good to know...

Thanks!

We cannot be sure of anything based on pictures, so before we go too far- Violet play-of-color is not a giveaway for lab-created opal. Neither are regular shapes in the patches of the color a sure giveaway- They can be clues, but other factors and characteristics of the patches need to be present to go one way or another.. Also "synthetic opal" is kind of a misnomer. No commercial synthetics exist as far as I know- only those for scientific study. All "fake" opals on the market are either plain man-made and/or simulated. I wouldn't be surprised to find this an Ethiopian opal- Not all of them are transparent with yellow and orange body tones. But it's hard to tell from pictures. Also, just because a ring or setting is 'vintage', doesn't mean that it actually is, or that the stone hasn't been replaced somewhere along the line.

-Look at the stone a bit from the side- Do you see what looks to be little "tubes" running top to bottom in the stone?
-Shine light through it- Do you see pale blue/green honeycomb-shaped patches in the stone?
-Look at the stone under 10x magnification- Do the color patches have honeycombed splotches or little dots of color within them?
-Does the back of the stone exhibit the exact same pattern and density of color as the front?
-Does the color play seem to be located in one spot of the stone, like a "sheet" of patches suspended in the middle of the stone?

There are things to look for with the eye and magnification to get some clues, but it's better off to take it to a credible gemologist or send it to a lab to be certain it's nature. I'm usually confident in my assessments of opals based on pictures, but to be honest, this one can go either way. There are things I see in it that make me think "natural", and there are other things that make me think "simulated". I dont think either verdict would surprise me, really. The only way to be sure is to have someone knowledgeable about opals see it in person, or send it to a lab.

 

[AlexPark]

Looks real to me. Just tap the stone on your teeth..if it feel like glass it's real...feels like plastic...fake. If that opal was fake it would be plastic for sure.

 

[AlexPark]

It looks like an Ethiopian Opal to me. Ethiopian Opals that size aren't terribly rare or expensive...

Looks like Ethiopian to me also. Looks like the one I bought my girlfriend for $60 . Weird thing is when it's wet it changes completely...when it dries out looks that stone.

 

[currada]

I'm no expert but it appears to be natural to me too. In your third picture with it on the hand it looks like there might be some crazing in the middle right hand side. Just my opinion of course.