B&M - Black Opal doublet? What?!

[Tekate]

If Jordy said it's an opal you know it is! I had an opal once, they are so beautiful.. lost it in the divorce c'est la vie!

Thank you @jordyonbass!!!

I love my Pricescope buddies! I'm so fortunate to part of this family of gem wisdom and knowledge!!!

I appreciate everyones thoughts and thank you for taking the time to share!

 

[JPie]

It sounds like she was negging you to get you to make your purchases through her store.

 

[2Neezers]

I think they might have been making an assumption because most B&M stores do carry pieces with black opal doublets. It’s much harder and more expensive to find a solid black opal with the type of color play you can find for a lot less in a doublet. I have an opal doublet from a local B&M and it has a brown backing on it. Your beautiful black opal looks like my solid opals do on the back. It’s even possible the person you spoke to has never seen a solid black opal before if they only carry opal doublets.

 

[arkieb1]

Doublets and triplets are all they see in some bricks and mortar stores so that's why they are too stupid to tell the difference.

 

[Rose-gold-or-bust]

The only way I think it could be a doublet is if somebody carved out the inside, filled it with another material then took the back part and put it back on. Like image a hard boiled egg (no shell), sliced in half, the yolk taken out, replaced with synthetic yolk and then the original egg white put back in place. Th original yolk/opal insides are not being used somewhere else.


But... I think that is far fetched, labor intensive and would still be hard to pull off without obvious lines.

 

[Bron357]

Late to the show......
Black opals have to have a “dark potch” back, that’s what causes the “body colour” to qualify as a black opal. There will be a demarcation between the colour play and the potch BUT it is never perfectly even.
To a person with little exposure to opals I can see how they might assume that the dark potch is “stuck on” aka a doublet.
If in doubt grab a Loupe. With a doublet, looking at the edge /side, there will be no mistaking the join line and it will be “perfectly” straight as opposed to a solid black where there will variation in the widths of the colour section and the potch section and no join line visible.

 

[JPie]

@ZestfullyBling you are most welcome

Also FWIW, I recently cut a stone that is 100% solid but anyone who looks at it swears it is a doublet. It had the colour bar form perfectly on black potch and I kept the potch on the back as this darkens the stone and improves colour, but the formation between the two natural layers is so perfect it looks like the edge on a doublet. So while we can check edges for that seam, it is important to remember that the seam can also be there naturally on a solid stone too sometimes.

I'm actually thinking about pulling it from my inventory as I feel like this one is going to cause me some problems just because of what it looks like on the edges

Would you consider posting a picture of this for educational purposes?

 

[jordyonbass]

Would you consider posting a picture of this for educational purposes?

I'm unsure if trade members can post photos of their stock, even if for educational purposes. Can you please clarify @Ella ? If it is allowed I will post photos showing the edge and back

 

[jordyonbass]

No way it's doublet since there's colourplay on the flat underside and also where the darker suspected side is. A doublet bottom will not show any colourplay.

I just wanted to point out that the backing on a doublet may potentially have very minor flashes of colourplay, sometimes black potch with very low grade colourplay that is not worth cutting into gems can be used to make doublets. The indicator this has happened is that the colour play on the back is nothing like the front and you have to look at it really closely to see the flashes that will usually be few and far between.
But you are correct for the most part that a doublet is not going to have colour play on the back.

The ultimate test is to put the stone in some acetone, but that one is a little bit too permanent if it is not solid

 

[jordyonbass]

Would you consider posting a picture of this for educational purposes?

Just been given permission by Ella to show a photo of the stone

When you look at it from the side it looks like a doublet that has been cut a bit wonky, but it has got the same demarcation look as a doublet due to the crystal colourbar forming a perfect seam with the colourless black potch.

 

[JPie]

Just been given permission by Ella to show a photo of the stone

When you look at it from the side it looks like a doublet that has been cut a bit wonky, but it has got the same demarcation look as a doublet due to the crystal colourbar forming a perfect seam with the colourless black potch.

Oh wow, that really does look like a doublet! That’s pretty cool!

(Thanks @Ella !)

 

[JackTrick]

That’s ridiiiiiculous! Natural doublet

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I’m had BM store owners assume all sorts of weird things. Like my ideal cut diamonds were fake or enhanced because they were “too perfect” or my spinel was a garnet... who knows why they decide to pick those arguments and die on those hills lol.

I love opal! Sally just finished setting mine and I can’t wait to see it!

 

[kama_s]

100% this is not a doublet. It’s just not polished on the back end. The jeweler should know better!
But it’s a stunning opal!!!

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Just been given permission by Ella to show a photo of the stone

When you look at it from the side it looks like a doublet that has been cut a bit wonky, but it has got the same demarcation look as a doublet due to the crystal colourbar forming a perfect seam with the colourless black potch.

Thank you @jordyonbass!!!
This had been the most informative and helpful opal forum for me. I appreciate you sharing your expertise!!

 

[ZestfullyBling]

It sounds like she was negging you to get you to make your purchases through her store.

Yeah. And it worked. Im commissioning her to help me design my opal ring reset.

 

[ZestfullyBling]

I think they might have been making an assumption because most B&M stores do carry pieces with black opal doublets. It’s much harder and more expensive to find a solid black opal with the type of color play you can find for a lot less in a doublet. I have an opal doublet from a local B&M and it has a brown backing on it. Your beautiful black opal looks like my solid opals do on the back. It’s even possible the person you spoke to has never seen a solid black opal before if they only carry opal doublets.

Thank you!! I agree. She probably hasnt seen or worked with them before. But she Will be familiar after she works with mine.

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Doublets and triplets are all they see in some bricks and mortar stores so that's why they are too stupid to tell the difference.

LOL!! I love this. Because I felt the same emotion when I walked out of her store. I was ranting about her stupidness on the entire drive home. Lol

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Late to the show......
Black opals have to have a “dark potch” back, that’s what causes the “body colour” to qualify as a black opal. There will be a demarcation between the colour play and the potch BUT it is never perfectly even.
To a person with little exposure to opals I can see how they might assume that the dark potch is “stuck on” aka a doublet.
If in doubt grab a Loupe. With a doublet, looking at the edge /side, there will be no mistaking the join line and it will be “perfectly” straight as opposed to a solid black where there will variation in the widths of the colour section and the potch section and no join line visible.

I did loope it and with all the professional and personal opinions you guys shared...im confident in my opal now. Very helpful!!

 

[ZestfullyBling]

I’m had BM store owners assume all sorts of weird things. Like my ideal cut diamonds were fake or enhanced because they were “too perfect” or my spinel was a garnet... who knows why they decide to pick those arguments and die on those hills lol.

I love opal! Sally just finished setting mine and I can’t wait to see it!

HOW did a wonder job on your ring!! I'm excited for you to see your new opal ring too!! Looking forward to more pics

 

[ZestfullyBling]

100% this is not a doublet. It’s just not polished on the back end. The jeweler should know better!
But it’s a stunning opal!!!

Thank you!! She Will know better because on my next visit I will correct her. Lol in a friendly nice way of course.