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- Dec 14, 2017
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- 576
It looks like it may be a doublet because of what looks to be a very black underside of the stone. It’s very pretty.
Hi, sorry to be a Debbie Downer but I’m pretty sure that’s a lab created opal, not a natural opal. What did the Pawn shop ID the other gems as and also the metal?
That aside, opals are labeled by their type first, then if there’s a “pattern” to the colour play, that might also be used in the description.
Firstly there are natural solid opals, then doublets where a slice of natural opal is glued to a backing (usually because the piece of opal was too thin to be used alone), triplet opals which are an even thinner slice of natural opal with a clear dome (might be quartz, glass or even plastic) stuck over the top and that glued to a backing.
There are Australian opals (mulicolour), Ethiopian or Welo opals (mulitcolour);and Mexican Fire opals (orange red tones only). There is also Boulder Opal (opal seam in ironstone) of various types plus other gems called pink and blue opal, just a single colour.
A material called Opalite is a created glass type
These days there are a number of manufacturers of lab created opal. Some are very well made and believable creations, others are “trendy bright colours” and easily IDed as man made.
Black opals are the most valuable. These are identified by the “background tone” being very dark. Once the background tone lightens too much, they become semi black, then lighter tone still, white opals. These opals type are generally opaque when held up to a light source.
Crystal opals and Ethopian opals and Mexican fire opals are translucent. When held up to a light source they are semi see through.This type of opal usually means the colour play is subdued in low lighting.
Sometimes the opals colour play is identified as a particular pattern. There’s harlequin, flash, rolling flash, Chinese writing, pin fire etc. Some patterns are rare and greatly increase the opals value.
And an opals value (apart from size); is determined by its type, then colour play and the colours in the colour play. Red is the most valuable colour. Then orange, pink, yellow. Violet, blue and green are less valuable.
A top opal would be a black opal with full spectrum colour play that changes with directional viewing, the “less” background colour between colours the better.
A tell tale sign of lab created opal is the lack of colour play change when the angle of viewing is changed.
A photo of the different colours of lab opals can be purchased in and also some photos of my opal ring which shows how colour play changes quite dramatically depending on viewing angle.
And there’s nothing “wrong” with lab opals, they are very beautiful BUT you don’t want to be paying “natural opal” price for a lab opal.
Does that make it real or not real? I thought triplet also after I googled and saw examples. But now.....Whoops. Didn't see those. It's a triplet I think
It's real, but it's a thin slice of opal that has a backing and is covered by plastic/glass, etc. So it's real, but extremely inexpensive (that doesn't mean it's not pretty, but just hoping you didn't overpay).Does that make it real or not real? I thought triplet also after I googled and saw examples. But now.....
It's real, but it's a thin slice of opal that has a backing and is covered by plastic/glass, etc. So it's real, but extremely inexpensive (that doesn't mean it's not pretty, but just hoping you didn't overpay).
I think the price was fair. Should I be as careful with it as if it were a solid opal or is it a little more sturdy? Also, if I wanted to source an opal as a replacement, would that be do-able?