Fine Black Opal

[sphenequeen]

Does anyone have any recommendations for someone who deals in fine black opal - Not gray-black, but true black opal with harlequin pattern and red flashes?

 

[Pandora II]

You could try contacting Rick Martin at Artcutgems - he's an expert on opal and if he doesn't have any then he will probably know who does. He may not have any on his website (I haven't checked) so send him an email.

I was looking at some nice pieces the other day - my brother wanted advice on a potential opal ring for his wife and I was putting together an email on the different types available. The prices are seriously scary especially if you want a lot of red... a 5ct piece for over $55k!

Be careful if the price seems too good to be true - a lot of black opal on the market has been treated - either soaked in engine oil for a long time, or more commonly heated in a sugar solution and then in hydrochloric acid. Stone can also be painted, smoked etc . The treatments aren't permanent and only permeate a mm or so into the stone. The results are impressive and not easy for a lay-person to spot.

 

[sphenequeen]

Thanks Pandora. I will contact Rick Martin. I appreciate your response!

 

[chrono]

I can't remember the name of the online business now but there is a reputable Australian company that sells jaw dropping gorgeous black opals with amazing harlequin patterns (and some with reds). Pricing is of course very high but they are also of very fine quality. Let me see if I can find them again.

ETA
I can't seem to recall the name at all after poking around the net. They sell only Lightning Ridge opals (no other gemstones).

 

[VapidLapid]

http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/opal-search?category=unset_opal&type=20

http://www.blackopalworld.com/index.php/cName/solid-black-opals-over-5000

 

[Pandora II]

Are you thinking of Andrew Cody of 'Cody Opal'?

I met him a couple of years ago when he came to London for a conference and brought a selection of opals for us all to see - including a £75k GBP black opal. OMG, his collection was amazing - and he was a really good speaker and nice guy.

They are trade-only but could probably tell you the name of your nearest supplier.

 

[kenny]

I have no expertise in opals, nor can I say much about this website or its pricing.
I can say that I DID buy one low-cost opal as a gift from them and it did arrive safely in the US from Australia.

They have some really super expensive ones.
It appears to be a website where lots of opal sellers offer their goods, much like eBay or Amazon.

http://www.opalauctions.com/

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Yes, Opalauctions.com is a site that has multiple sellers. Some use an auction format, others have fixed prices. Therefore, it is hard to generalize as good or reliable, since there may be bad apples. I have bought several stones there, from different sellers, and have generally been happy. But, like ebay, it is important to check feedback, etc. Many, if not most, buyers seem to be in the trade, and not consumers, which helps to keep the site in a reasonable level regarding fair descriptions, disclosure of treatment, etc.

 

[kenny]

I love looking through their "Investment Opal" section.
Keep a drool rag handy.

http://www.opalauctions.com/auctions/investment-opal/

 

[LD]

Clearly you've done your homework so you'll know that you're looking for top top top quality. Finding a real black (as opposed to grey) is a challenge. Add in a harlequin pattern (a good one) AND red and you'll need to put quite a few zeros on the end of the buying price unfortunately.

I have bought from OpalAuctions and http://www.codyopal.com/cody0405/index.html.. I think that you can buy from Internet Opals http://www.internetopals.com/index.htm and you can get a jeweller to buy something from the Cody Opal site http://www.codyopal.com/cody0405/index.html

Good luck. I'm intrigued to see what you get! I'm sure it'll be ultra swoonworthy!

 

[Barrett]

I remember reading or talking with someone who was an expert in opals, and if I recall correctly, the harlequin pattern, which you see flashed all over every website and sellers page, is actually a very rare phenomenon. This expert said in his however many years of dealing with opals the world over had ever seen a couple true harlequin's. He said it's a term that has been abused and mis-used by those in the trade trying to hype up or sell opals for more money. I don't recall who this was, where I read this or heard, or how correct I am at repeating it.
I know when you google harlequin a bunch of opals come up with that pattern supposedly. Can someone who knows more about opals elaborate on this? Is this true?

 

[LD]

I remember reading or talking with someone who was an expert in opals, and if I recall correctly, the harlequin pattern, which you see flashed all over every website and sellers page, is actually a very rare phenomenon. This expert said in his however many years of dealing with opals the world over had ever seen a couple true harlequin's. He said it's a term that has been abused and mis-used by those in the trade trying to hype up or sell opals for more money. I don't recall who this was, where I read this or heard, or how correct I am at repeating it.
I know when you google harlequin a bunch of opals come up with that pattern supposedly. Can someone who knows more about opals elaborate on this? Is this true?

I'm not sure that I know more than you, but yes, it's my understanding that you're correct. True harlequins are rare. You can get a partial harlequin pattern that only fills a portion of the gem but not all but a true regular harlequin covering the whole opal face is very rare indeed.

 

[sphenequeen]

Partial harlequin is fine with me and so are a few zeros. Well, up to 3 and nowhere near 4.

Additionally, I don't want anything too large - just full of color and life. I will check out these websites and report back with some options.