Opal, with its mesmerizing play of color and otherworldly beauty, has captivated humanity for millennia. Its origin story, like the gem itself, is a multifaceted blend of geological processes, ancient lore, and modern mining. Today, we're diving deep into the dazzling world of opals with the ultimate guide for savvy buyers. Buckle up, grab your gem loupes, and get ready to unlock the secrets of these kaleidoscopic beauties with TrueGems' Opal Buyer's Guide!
Hi everyone,
I’m Sasha Kareva and on this channel I talk about GEMSTONES. Welcome!
Archaeological finds in East Africa point to opal use as far back as 4000 BC. These artifacts, likely of Ethiopian origin, were probably tools or ornaments. By 250 BC, the Romans were captivated by opal's play of color. They believed it came from India, but it likely hailed from Central Europe, particularly mines near modern-day Slovakia. Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar, marveled at its kaleidoscopic nature, comparing it to flames and burning oil.
Did you know that Australia, is the opal capital of the world! For millennia, Aboriginals have revered these stones as "fire spirit dreaming," and for good reason. Lightning Ridge throws up fiery black opals, while Coober Pedy shimmers with milky white treasures. Each region boasts unique colors and patterns, making Aussie opals true national gems.
But hold onto your hats, because opals are globetrotters! Mexico stuns with fiery "cantera" opals, Ethiopia whispers secrets in its milky white Welo opals, and even Peru adds its own Andean flair with volcanic blue Boulder opals. Each origin story adds another layer of charm to these gems, making them truly international treasures.
But how do we tell where an opal hails from? It's like a gemstone detective story! The play-of-color, the body tone, even the inclusions can offer clues. Black opal with a lightning strike pattern? That's gotta be Lightning Ridge! Welo opals have a milky, ethereal glow, while Mexican fire opals blaze with orange and yellow hues. It's all about knowing your opal language!
The origin of an opal isn't just about a map. It's about the people who bring these gems to life. From skilled cutters shaping the raw stones to miners risking it all in the depths of the earth, every opal carries the story of human passion and dedication.
Opal color isn't just about the hues you see. It's a mesmerizing interplay of light, known as play-of-color. Imagine tiny spheres of silica packed together, diffracting light like a prism, igniting a kaleidoscope within the stone. This play-of-color is the opal's soul, and its quality dictates the gem's value. Blues and greens are the most common colors. Warm colors (yellow, orange, pink, and red) are less common. As a result, the more warm colors present, the higher the value. Violet and purple are the least common colors in opal. However, they have less effect on value than a hot red or orange.
The clarity of an opal's colors is evaluated in terms of hue, tone, and saturation. For example, a bright, pure blue is more valuable than a light blue or a greenish blue. Pink is highly valued in opal, but less so than a pure red. (Please note: "clarity of colors" for opals differs from gemstone clarity in the traditional sense of imperfections and inclusions, discussed in my previous videos.
The brightness of an opal's fire or play of colors is graded on a scale of 1 to 5. Keep in mind, please, this use of the term "fire" in opals is distinct from the use of the term synonymously with dispersion in other gemstones).
Coverage for opals is very important and refers to the amount of surface showing play of color. Ideally, the entire crown of the gem should show fire. The less area covered, the lower the value.
Centering is also important. To fetch the highest value, opals should have their best play of color centered. Opals with their best play of color to the sides or off-centered are less valuable.
All precious opals inherently display multiple colours, yet there is a ‘background’ or body tone that determines the main colour of both precious opals and potches. Here, we will introduce the most popular body tones of opals.
so, let’s discuss Opal colors in details
White opal
This is one of the most ubiquitous opal colours, along with grey and green, making it one of the lowest-priced opal stone colours. Precious white opals typically show fluorescent green, pink, red, and yellow play-of-colour, with potches showing a more muted, hazy colouration. In esoteric use, white opal is believed to absorb negative energy.
Grey opal
Opals with a grey body tone are also known as semi-black or simply dark opals. Grey opals offer a more opaque background for iridescence to show up, such that viewers can even see patterns in the different colours. Again, the particular play-of-colour of opals is due to the regularity of their internal structure, so the way they look varies according to the angle and intensity of light hitting them.
Pink opal
Pink opals are a variety of opal colour that exclusively occurs in common opals. That is, they tend to be highly opaque and don’t exhibit any ‘fire’. The hue of pink-coloured opal ranges from almost white to deep pink, edging on lilac. Their milky quality, with river-like tendrils of white bands, cause them to sometimes be confused with rose quartz. However, both can represent compassion, love, and healing.
Red opal
Opal with a red body tone is among the rarest opal colours, along with black. Some red opals are called fire opals when they exhibit orange, yellow, or red with occasional green flashes. These range from fire e ngine orange-red to blood-red. Some opal gemstones exhibit a combination of black and red hues. This opal colour represents passion and fortune among gemstone hobbyists.
Blue opal
Opal stones exhibiting a blue background can be both common and noble. The common blue opal typically exhibits a pure baby blue or turquoise blue. Similar to pink potches, they also sometimes have meandering white bands. On the other hand, the noble blue opal ranges from royal blue to blue-black, with green, sky blue, and purple fire. Some believe blue opal has the power to reduce stress and represents balance between the sky and ocean.
Orange opal
On a rarity scale, orange-coloured opals are only less rare than red opals, making them fairly sought-after. Translucent orange opals can exhibit mesmerizing combinations of green, blue, yellow, and purple fire. Opal stones containing a dominant orange body colour can also be called a fire opal. Thus, they share similar symbolic meanings with red opals: success and passion in all areas of life.
Yellow opal
Opals with yellow hues can be potches or noble opals. They range from a pale canary yellow, to a dark mustard yellow, to a brighter, golden yellow. Yellow precious opals can exhibit green, blue, red, and orange flashes and are relatively rare compared to white opals. They can represent joy and confidence.
Green opal
Another common opal variety, that is, showing no play-of-colour, is green opal. Opal stones with a green hue are typically made of silica that has mixed with a green mineral called nontronite. Green opals have a smaller range of saturations compared to the other different coloured opals; they are usually grass or lime green. In metaphysical circles, they are considered to be an energy cleansing stone.
Black opal
Finally, black opals, especially those from Australia, are agreed by gemologists and jewelers to be the most expensive and desirable opal colour. It is the rarest hue that opals come in, and offers the ideal, undisturbed background for showing off the interplay of vibrant colours. Nearly all colours can appear in the play-of-colour of black-coloured opals, from red, yellow, and orange, to purple, blue, and green.
Another characteristic that sets extremely dark opals apart is that they do actually contain trace elements of iron oxide and carbon that contribute to their multi-colouration.
When we are speaking about the Opal is a bit weird to use the term clarity, coz this stone is usually semi-translucent or opaque.
A few tiny inclusions add character, but major fractures or milky patches are dealbreakers. They can affect the opal's brilliance and durability.
True inclusions in opals include sand, non-opal spots, healed fractures, chips, webbing or fine strands of potch or sandstone between the areas of color, and fractures. Their effect on clarity grades and, thus, value is in direct relationship to their effect on the appearance of the gem.
Matrix is the host rock on which the opal is found. While not truly an inclusion, it has the same effect on value when it appears on the surface of the gem.
All opals are usually cut as cabochons and in this case we judge Thinness and Thickness of the Opal and symmetry
opals should exhibit symmetry when viewed from the sides and ends. An uneven cut can disrupt the light play and detract from the stone's overall appeal, consequently lowering its value.
Carats measure the weight of an opal, but unlike diamonds, bigger isn't always better. Opals are delicate beauties, and a hefty stone might be fragile or even crack under pressure. Plus, the play-of-color can get lost in a bulky gem. Think of carats as a spice, not the main course!
The ideal carat size depends on the setting and your personal style.
Don't get hypnotized by carats alone! Remember, opal quality plays a huge role in value. A high-grade opal with dazzling play-of-color can be more valuable than a larger stone with less fire. Prices !!
In conclusion l, i teach you trick. Do you know that there are a lot of fake Opal in the market, but with this knowledge you can easily distinguish them. Fake opals look like a snake skin even under the loop.
Don’t fall into the trap!
Or bring it into professional. We can find Opal for your budget and needs !
Remember, an opal is more than just a gemstone; it's a story waiting to be told. Let TrueGems be the author, guiding you to the opal that whispers your unique narrative, a symphony of color that reflects the fire within you.