Tons of Opal Questions

[angel_nieves]

I recently picked up a ring that was in my Aunts estate. She bought it in 1960 -70's and had it custom mounted in 18k with a halo of diamonds around the stone. I thought it was a doublet until I wore it for the other day and could see though it. I am about to post some horrible grade photos of the ring, I hate my new Kodak camera!!!!

 

[angel_nieves]

I wish I knew how to post more than on photo at a time please forgive me

 

[angel_nieves]

Ok now my pc is acting up on me and not letting me post the pics. Some of the questions I wanted to ask are: What creates a blue opal? And why is most opal sold in the US a more pale white?

 

[angel_nieves]

Th ring is a size 4

 

[angel_nieves]

Oh the only thing I know about the ring besides the date, diamond quality, is care of the stone. My Aunt left specific instructions about that. In this pic it some what shows how you can see though the stone.

 

[angel_nieves]

If any one can give me info on a good appraiser for the stone it would be greatly appreciated. I most likely will return this Kodak for anther Camera any suggestions on a brand would be also appreciated. Thank you

 

[eac]

Where are you located? Most areas have a good appraiser, and if we know where you are, that helps.

Also, what does your camera''s manual say about shooting close-ups/using the "macro" setting? That should help get decent ring pics!

 

[neatfreak]

Macie, Opals can be many many colors, not just white. I think your thought of most opals being white is because most cheap opals are white. Here is a decent resource for more information:



http://www.gemsociety.org/info/gems/Opal.htm

 

[angel_nieves]

Thanks I am located in South Florida, USA. I actually love the color of the ring. However in her detailed instructions how to care for it she said she wore the ring as a dinner ring. Also to be careful of cleaning agents on it and to keep the stone moist when not wearing it. Also she wrote that the stone was not to be oiled, does any one know what purpose oiling has to do with an opal?
Thanks for any info from a complete colored stone newb.

 

[simplysplendid]

Hi, www.opalsdownunder.com.au has tons of info on opals..

 

[jewelerman]

Macie,
Congrats on your new treasure!Quality blue opals are much more rare than white opals. Most of the white opals on the american retail market are of commercial quality.Remember to be very careful with your opal ring.Opals are fragile and easy to chip.Never clean you opal in an ultrsonic cleaner or use any cemical based cleaners and never use a brush when cleaning the opal.Be aware that tempature changes can cause damage to the gem...dont wear it outside in the winter for a long period of time.Dont store it in a safty deposit box for more then a few months at a time.A very hot long term enviroment like a hot car or a lighted display case can dehydrate the gem of its natural moisture.Do use purified oil on your gem after cleaning it.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 5/1/2008 11:59:48 PM
Author: Macie
Thanks I am located in South Florida, USA. I actually love the color of the ring. However in her detailed instructions how to care for it she said she wore the ring as a dinner ring. Also to be careful of cleaning agents on it and to keep the stone moist when not wearing it. Also she wrote that the stone was not to be oiled, does any one know what purpose oiling has to do with an opal?

I''ve cut many, many opals as well as other stones in the past several decades. I''d like first to agree emphatically with the tips on opal care provided by your Aunt and by Don Clark at ISG. Second, if what I can see from your images is correct, you own a very nice black opal from Lightning Ridge, Australia. In the world of opals, fine blacks sit at the top with dark (grayish) body tones in the middle, and "light" opals with light gray to white base colors at the bottom. All can make very fine gems depending on a number of factors but each has its own price range determined by overall quality.

Be very careful in choosing an appraiser. I''d strongly recommend finding a dealer who works with precious opals, especially black opals, on a regular basis and ask them about local appraisers. Many appraisers who are perfectly competent with diamonds and most colored gems know absolutely nothing about the real-world opal market, as I''ve found from personal experience. The opal world sits apart from the rest of the colored gem market, as do jade, pearls and a few other specialty items that require unique training.

Why are light opals so common in the U.S. market? Because retail jewelers have traditionally spurned high quality opals due of their own lack of opal knowledge. They needed to sell an October birthstone so selected the cheapest possible option in most cases. (There are some grades of "light" opals that can be very beautiful and quite expensive, so it''s really not wise to over-generalize). Since jewelers educate their customers, and those jewelers knew little or nothing about opals themselves, guess what? Several generations of customers have been misinformed about precious opals. There have always been a few knowledgeable exceptions among jewelers and it appears your Aunt found one "back in the day." Good for her -- and for you!


This link has excellent educational information about Australian opal: Opal Association

Richard M.

 

[Linda W]

Your opal ring is beautiful!! I love the display of colors, it is my favorite.

Linda

 

[partgypsy]

Oh my! What a treasure!

You are one lucky duck!
Yes follow the advice about care of opals. I have heard of horror stories of opals put in security deposit boxes.

 

[jewelerman]

Part Gyspy,
I have also seen the problems caused by improper jewelry and gem storage.I would also suggest that other soft or organic gem stones such as opal,turquiose,pearl, ivory and coral not be placed in safety deposit boxes for long periods of time.Also keep old wrist and pocket watches in the box for only 6 months at a time...bad on the oil in the mechanism.Dont store high karat gold with silver coins because the metals will discolor...that funky red color that comes from the copper alloys.
I cant believe that the opal association site said that opals dont take any unusual care!That advise could have disasterious results.

 

[angel_nieves]

Thanks Richard, my friend who is G.I.A graduate says she is going to help me find competent opal appraiser. Until I get a full appraisal for my insurance, I’m not going to wear it out and about.

This pic that I found on the site represents the colors in my opal. However my opal does not have those beautiful green flashes as evenly and perfectly dispersed.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 5/2/2008 6:09:15 PM
Author: jewelerman

I have also seen the problems caused by improper jewelry and gem storage.I would also suggest that other soft or organic gem stones such as opal,turquiose,pearl, ivory and coral not be placed in safety deposit boxes for long periods of time.

Opals shouldn''t be stored in bank vaults because vaults are dehumidified to prevent paper documents from mildewing. Opals need relatively humid conditions so they can "breathe" to maintain their internal moisture balance. IF they can''t they often craze.

I''ll grant your point on silver and watches, but what kind of damage have you seen with turquoise, coral, ivory and pearls? I can''t think of any reason they shouldn''t be stored okay unless they''re jumbled together with harder stones that scratch them. That can happen any time in regular storage at home.

I cant believe that the opal association site said that opals dont take any unusual care! That advise could have disasterious results.

I don''t believe you''re quoting the Association accurately or completely. The section reads:

"Opal jewellery requires no greater care than other jewellery mounted with stones such as diamond, ruby emerald, tanzanite or turquoise. You should never wear any jewellery in rough conditions such as to the beach or during activities where it may get knocked by metal or hard objects (eg washing up).

"In these conditions, stones get dislodged from their settings, gold gets scratched and stones get chipped (even diamonds) and opal should be treated the same as all other stones - with respect. Opal requires no special treatment or care. As with other stones, grime from wear can be wiped off with a damp tissue or cloth."

I agree with that statement.
Richard M.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Gorgeous, Macie!

 

[jewelerman]

Richard,
As you know organic gems like ivory,pearl,and coral can become discolored, dried out and brittle if not cared for properly.Many banks dont control the tempatures in security box areas leaving them un-heated after business hours and even cool during business hours.When these gems are stored for long periods the cold tempatures will cause ivory and coral to become brittle and can cause un-timly shrinkage and splitting in weak areas.Pearls without thick nacare layers can be affected with flaking shown on surface or at drill holes. Untreated or stabilized turquiose is a pourious material and can be affected by tempature change.At one time I worked for a dept.store that took in high end vintage or antique jewelry and time pieces for sale.Some pieces I handled that had splitting and shrinkage damage had been sitting in boxes for years without being removed because they were out of fashion or inherited.I started to research this type of damage only after I found that a few of my karat gold pieces had been di-colored when i stored them with silver coins in my safty box for several months during the winter.

 

[jewelerman]

Richard,
in the line about turquiose I ment to say untreated or UN-stabilized turquiose.