Important Things to Consider When Buying Australian Opals

14 Oct Important Things to Consider When Buying Australian Opals

There is no mistaking Australian opals for a sapphire or a ruby, despite their similarity in appearance. Their one-of-a-kind colour schemes and designs make them stand out.

Gem-quality Australian opals are not as pricey as diamonds, but they are difficult to come by. Because of this, it’s important to use extreme caution in shopping for jewellery.

Australian opals in its raw form does not show any signs of crystallisation. Before they may take on a gem-like look, they must go through a number of procedures. In other words, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you can pay for a gemstone but get a common rock instead.

Here, we’ll go over some of the specifics you should keep in mind when browsing for Australian opals jewellery.

For those unfamiliar with this mineraloid, the prospect of purchasing jewellery adorned with it may seem daunting. However, this is not unlike from purchasing jewellery elsewhere that has engraved stones. There are really just two options here.

Characteristics

If you’re in the market for Australian opals, you should know that there are many distinct varieties to choose from. Those with a dark coloration tend to be the priciest on the market.

In comparison to similar items, they are bright and have a rather black backdrop. White or Milky is by far the most prevalent colour. In addition to being the most affordable option, this style is also the most common. In contrast to the black version, this one is not shiny.

The range of hues available in crystals is astounding. The last category includes boulder opals, which look quite similar to the black opals and are occasionally misidentified as black opals themselves.

Formal Substance

The market association provides a guidance to the basic body tone of Australian opals, which indicates the relative blackness or lightness of the stone but not its true hue. Nine distinct categories, labelled N1 through N9, have been established for the stones. This measurement chart may be used to determine the size of the underlying body of jewellery purchased at a shop or online.

Stones rated between N1 and N4 indicate that they contain the rare and very valuable black opal. Check whether the ones you get from various vendors are consistent with the description given in the guide.

You should only purchase from vendors that promise to provide exactly what you want and who offer a money-back guarantee if the item doesn’t meet your standards. Particularly useful for making distinctions, this manual is a must-have.

Tone of Body

In terms of monetary worth, Australian opals’ tone is the most important factor. The deeper the shade, the greater its worth. For this reason, black ones often cost more than white ones.

Why? Because a darker body tone will reflect more light, making you seem sleeker and more polished. Lighter colours, on the other hand, don’t reflect as much light and come off as more matte.

So, before you purchase, make sure the skin tone is right.

Brilliance of the Rocks

An intensity scale for light levels is available. There is a lack of shine, brightness, and brilliance in the grades. This grading indicates the degree to which the stones reflect light.

Australian opals that are graded as dazzling shine the brightest, while those that are graded as dull either do not shine at all or just do so faintly. The more luminous the artwork, the higher the price. Shiny ones are quite uncommon, but muted ones are commonplace.

Carat Weight

The size and weight of Australian opals are described by its carat weight. Australian opals are not measured in carats like diamonds or gold since they are neither precious stones nor metals.

Consequently, a 0.2-carat opal might be as expensive as, or even more expensive than, a 0.3-carat opal. Other parameters, such as colour tone and brightness, are used to set the pricing.