Advice on purchasing Opal ring

[Pinkmartini87]

Dear all,

Ok, so I've been very indecisive about what type of ring to get for my engagement ring, but I just saw this lovely opal beauty at the local antique store and feel like I just gotta have it! Problem is, I know next to nothing on how to judge an Opal and don't know if the asking price of $14500 is fair.

Here are some specifics to go with the photo:

From the website, "This Victorian ring was handmade with 18KT yellow gold and silver. A fantastic prong-set 2.20 carat, oval, cabochon-cut white opal is surrounded with a stunning row of old European-cut diamonds. The diamonds weigh .45 total carats, with a VS2-SI1 clarity and H-I color."

Let the experts speak! What do you guys and gals think?

 

[Bex]

The ring is beautiful, but $14,500 seems wildly out of line! For comparison, here's a 7+ ct opal with 1.5 ct of diamonds for under $5K: https://www.langantiques.com/victorian-opal-and-diamond-ring-13.html

Additionally, opals are really fragile stones and I'd be terrified to wear one in a ring every day. So they might not be the best option for an engagement ring

 

[lambskin]

Way overpriced IMHO. Totally agree with Bex that opals are very fragile and prone to cracking and chipping. Got to be careful with soaps, lotions and potions too.

 

[chrono]

Woah, way overpriced! Opals are not suitable as e-rings as it requires careful handling.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Opals are my birthstone. I used to have one Australian opal set in 18k gold and diamonds. Low setting.

I was reaching for something under the car and hit the back of my hand on the car. The opal cracked big time. That was after 1.5 years of owning it with occasional wear.

Definitely no to one for an e-ring if you can help it!

 

[T L]

I agree with the others on the price, which is exhorbitant. I probably wouldn't pay more than $3k for it, even with the antique premium. It's a pretty ring, but the diamond weight, thin shank, and relatively average opal size with what seems to be a milky white body with little play of color, makes the price of $14,500 a bit outrageous.

 

[theredspinel]

The price is ridiculous. It's an awful, cheap white opal. They are the cheapest of opals, or rather are supposed to be!

I'm astounded at this. Please check out the opal thread here... it will show you what top notch opals are supposed to look like.

 

[missy]

Yes I am sorry to agree with the other posters that this is a poor quality opal but it is terrible. Save your money and find a gorgeous one. We are here to chime in to help you. Good luck!

I am not sure this was the thread the poster above meant to link but here is one opal thread you might want to check out.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/any-opal-lovers-out-there-show-and-tell-please.219770/

 

[theredspinel]

Oh yes, thank you missy!

 

[Pinkmartini87]

Thank you all! I'm so glad to have found this forum and you guys and gals! I did not know about just how delicate opals are, and feel as though I've averted a crisis.

Abandon ship er I mean abandon opal hehe.

I think I'm going back to look for a sapphire engagement ring as originally intended.

 

[missy]

Not sure the OP is still reading but just thought this info might be helpful.

https://www.gia.edu/opal-quality-factor


One thing I learned about opals from the beginning was the info I highlighted below. We see many blue/green opals but the ones exhibiting red and orange are quite amazing. Though the blue green ones can be super pretty.

Individual opals can vary widely in appearance and quality. As diverse as snowflakes or fingerprints, each gem can differ noticeably.

There are three main aspects of an opal’s quality:

• Color—Background color and play-of-color
• Pattern—Arrangement of play-of-color
• Clarity—Transparency and quantity of inclusions

Color
Opal hues can range across the spectrum. An opal might display a single color, two or three colors, or all the colors of the rainbow. Opal displays background color in addition to play-of-color. Background color—also called bodycolor—is caused by the suspension of tiny impurities within opal’s silica spheres.

This black opal has a lot of red play-of-color, which is considered highly desirable. - Courtesy Mariora, Surfer’s Paradise, Australia
Opals are often divided into types based on background color. Some background colors tend to be more prized than others. All other quality factors being equal, many buyers favor the black background color. This is partly because play-of-color tends to stand out attractively against a dark background.

Play-of-color might be the most spectacular aspect of an opal’s appearance. No matter the color or combination of colors, play-of-color must be vivid to command a high rating. In other words, opal lovers prize bright play-of-color over faint play-of-color.

Boulder opals can display intense play-of-color. - Courtesy Cody Opal
Secondary in importance to play-of-color’s strength is its range. If an opal’s play-of-color is not just bright, but also ranges across the entire spectrum, it’s very rare and valuable. Not every precious opal, however, sparkles with every color of the rainbow. In some, the play-of-color consists of just one main color and two or more secondary colors.

These light-colored opal beads are milky in appearance and have numerous dead spots with no play-of-color.
- Courtesy Cody Opal
Desirable play-of-color is further broken down by the colors themselves. Traditionally, red is considered the best prominent color, orange the next most desirable, followed by green. However, favored colors can vary with fashion or personal preference.

In addition, an opal’s play-of-color can change along with the viewing angle or type of light. For example, red might dominate in the same portion of an opal cabochon where blue dominates when it’s viewed from a different angle.

The most valuable opals display play-of-color from all angles.

Pattern
Pattern describes the arrangement of an opal’s play-of-color. Like the shapes you see in the clouds, play-of-color takes many forms.

Common terms for play-of-color patterns include:

• Pinfire or pinpoint: Small, closely set patches of color
• Harlequin or mosaic: Broad, angular, closely set patches of color
• Flame: Sweeping reddish bands or streaks that shoot across the stone
• Peacock: Mainly blue and green

In general, connoisseurs prefer large, closely arranged patches of color over tiny, scattered dots. As with any play-of-color, no matter what the pattern, colors must be bright for the stone to be valuable.

The harlequin pattern in this black opal has a lot of red, blue, and green play-of-color. - Rudy Weber, courtesy Cody Opal

In a close-up view, you can see the details of a black opal’s near-perfect harlequin pattern. - Courtesy Cody Opal

This large Australian light opal cabochon weighs 117.85 carats. Small play-of-color flashes of orange and green predominate in a pinfire pattern, with spots of a more muted blue over a grayish bodycolor.
In addition to the arrangement and shape of the play-of-color patches, buyers must consider extinction, or “dead spots,” when evaluating pattern. A dead spot is an area of the gem in which no play-of-color appears and only background color is visible. Dead spots detract from opal value, especially if there are several of them.

Clarity and Transparency
With an opal, clarity is its degree of transparency and freedom from inclusions. An opal’s clarity can range all the way from completely transparent to opaque. Experts prize different levels of clarity for different opal types. For example, in crystal opal, experts admire transparency, while in black opal they prefer an opaque background. Each provides the best background for displaying play-of-color in its individual opal type. A cloudy or milky background color lowers the value of any opal. It makes the gem less attractive, and it can sometimes signal a lack of stability.

Crystal opal can have intense play-of-color in a harlequin pattern.
There are various types of opal clarity characteristics that affect value. Opals, like other gems, can have fractures, or pits and other surface blemishes. An opal might also contain fragments of its host rock, called matrix. Matrix in a polished opal is usually—but not always—detrimental to its appearance and value. It depends on the type of opal.

If an opal loses moisture, it can lead to crazing: a fine network of cracks that resembles a spider’s web. The moisture loss can be caused by heat or excessive dryness, or by exposure to bright light or direct sunlight. Crazing can be prevented by never displaying opals in places— such as window displays—where they’re exposed to these conditions.


Boulder opals are opaque, giving them a mysterious look that’s ideal for designer jewelry pieces. - Courtesy Cody Opal
Even if cracked opals don’t break right away, they have little durability in jewelry, and the fractures spoil the beauty and clarity of the gem. For quality control, producers and dealers single out opals that they suspect might ultimately craze. Dealers who willingly buy crazed opal do so because it commands a lower wholesale price than undamaged opal. This means they can sell it at a lower retail price level.

Cut
The cutter considers an opal’s color, pattern, and clarity when planning the finished gem. As with many top-quality colored stones, exceptional opals might not be cut to standard sizes and shapes.

This incredible black opal is cut in a freeform shape. – Rudy Weber, courtesy Cody Opal
Cutters usually fashion exceptional rubies or sapphires, for example, in a way that saves weight or maximizes color— even if the result is an unevenly proportioned gem. In a similar strategy, opal cutters usually cut top-quality rough to show off its spectacular play-of-color.

To achieve this goal, cutters might fashion fine opals into large, irregular shapes that keep as much play-of-color as possible. Designers set these costly one-of-a-kind gems into custom pieces.

On the other hand, cutters typically fashion commercial-quality white opal and assembled opal into standard calibrated sizes, usually ovals.

The cut of a fine opal should be symmetrical. If it’s a cabochon, the dome should be well rounded. Domed surfaces give the best play-of-color, and make the stone appear vivid from most viewing angles. If the cabochon is flat, it might be vulnerable to breakage, especially during setting into jewelry. If it’s too high, it might be hard to set in jewelry.


Opal is commonly cut into oval cabochons for setting in jewelry. - John Parrish, courtesy Richard Krementz Gemstones
Carat Weight
Opals come in a wide range of sizes and carat weights. Opal has relatively low density compared to many other gemstones so even larger sizes can be comfortable to wear.

Common sizes for many of the opal cabochons set in jewelry are 6×4, 7×5, and 8×6 mm.


At 24 carats, this high-quality black opal will make an impressive centerpiece for a jewelry design. - Courtesy Cody Opal
Assembled Opals
Opal can be fragile. In solid opal cabochons, the gem material is usually thick enough to withstand everyday wear and jewelry repair without breaking. But with thinner material, manufacturers often have to add a rigid backing for durability.

Assembled opals are fashioned opals with backings. They might include materials like glass that aren’t usually part of gem-quality jewelry, but because they are partly precious opal, they still have value as gems. They sell for only a fraction of the price of boulder opals, but they allow manufacturers to make attractive finished gems from thin opal pieces.

The two common types of assembled opal are the opal doublet and triplet. The doublet is a thin layer of opal cemented to a backing. The backing is often composed of obsidian, dyed black chalcedony, black glass, natural common opal, or plastic. The triplet is a thin layer of opal cemented between a domed top of colorless quartz or clear glass and a backing of obsidian, chalcedony, or black glass.

 

[Pinkmartini87]

Not sure the OP is still reading but just thought this info might be helpful.

https://www.gia.edu/opal-quality-factor


One thing I learned about opals from the beginning was the info I highlighted below. We see many blue/green opals but the ones exhibiting red and orange are quite amazing. Though the blue green ones can be super pretty.

Hi Missy,

Wow, what beautiful variety! Made for a great read at breakfast today!

I may in the future consider an opal pendant but I think will say away from rings since I'm afraid I might break or chip such a delicate stone!

 

[Pinkmartini87]

And yes, Missy, I can see now how the opal in the ring has very poor play of color! I do love the look of black opals in your post!

 

[T L]

Thank you all! I'm so glad to have found this forum and you guys and gals! I did not know about just how delicate opals are, and feel as though I've averted a crisis.

Abandon ship er I mean abandon opal hehe.

I think I'm going back to look for a sapphire engagement ring as originally intended.

Sapphires can have a myriad of issues too, so please be careful and do not overpay. Good luck.