Calling JordyonBass

[Queenie60]

@jordyonbass - can you give me tips on purchasing an opal? I need to know what to look for so that I can have a nice, beautiful opal.

 

[jordyonbass]

Hey @Queenie60

I'm about to head out shortly, but just wanted to let you know that I've seen this and will get back to you a little later today. There's a bit of info there for me to cover on what you're looking at/for!

 

[jordyonbass]

OK, so here goes!!

There's the different Opal types obviously; boulder, white, crystal, dark and black being the most well known and are generally priced in that order from least to most expensive if the colourplay were all identical.

There are a few different ways to grade Opals, however most common is the scale that Justin Thomas from Black Opal Direct has made infamous; the N1-10/B1-5 body tone and brightness scale. So when it comes to the body tone the rule od thumb is the darker it is the more valuable, an N1 stone being the darkest black and the most expensive. Crystal Opals are an exception to this rule as a very fine crystal will be priced closely to a Black Opal.

Colourplay is rated B1-5, with the brightest stones getting a B5 rating and being most expensive. Greens/Blues more common and on the cheaper side and reds/pinks most rare and expensive.

Something that doesn't get spoken about is 'directional colourplay'; this occurs when a stone only shows the colourplay from a certain angle. This can explain a price discrepancy between 2 stones where all stats are similar otherwise.

Sometimes the amount of colour coverage over the stone can be a factor, however there are exceptions to the rule with certain patterns like pinfire or chinese writing patterns where the coverage is low but still commands a high price. Many 'picture' stones will attract that premium.

I may add more to this but for now this is a good place to start!

 

[KiloSierra]

I’m chiming in to say great thread, @Queenie60! Thanks for all the info @jordyonbass, opals are so mysterious, I have been really tempted by a few sellers - they remind me of the Aurora Borealis!

I’m following along to hopefully learn about finding an opal as well!

 

[Queenie60]

Thank you Jordy! I will take your great advise and continue to look. I am interested in a black or semi-black opal as I am interested in an oval opal so that I can have a halo ring made. I will continue my questions as I learn. What is the scale of 5? As some are grade on this scale.

 

[jordyonbass]

Most welcome and most welcome

@Queenie60 sorry I should have explained it a bit more clearly; it's a scale that grades the actual colourplay of the Opal that is flashing against the body tone. Stones showing subtle colourplay will get a B1 or B2 grade and the stones that are brightest receiving a B5. I'm not sure if I am allowed to post a picture of it due to forum policy however a PS'er may be able to post it.

There is another grading scale that is used by only one vendor that I know of and causes some confusion; it has a scale of 1-7 for brightness with 1 being most bright however I believe the body tone is N1-10 in the same graduation of tone from black to white (I could be wrong though). The B1-5 scale that I have previously mentioned is more commonly used in the trade for grading colourplay brightness.

 

[Queenie60]

Okay - I noticed that when searching. Why are some opals flat on the top after setting and some are domed at the top? How would I recognize this characteristic? This is so helpful. Thank you.

 

[jordyonbass]

Okay - I noticed that when searching. Why are some opals flat on the top after setting and some are domed at the top? How would I recognize this characteristic? This is so helpful. Thank you.

This is due to the thickness of the colourbar. With stones that have a thin colour bar it's not a good idea to create a tall dome as it can cut the colour off from the edges and leave colour in the middle only - causing the dreaded 'fried egg'. So when cutting the stone you can only really put a slight roundness on the edges.

It can be hard to tell from photos if it has a shallow, medium or tall dome. It may be best to ask the vendor for further photos and ask how tall the dome is.

 

[jordyonbass]

Little edit to the above;

The body tone scale is N1-N9, there is no 10. My mistake, I look down the other end of the scale more often