Opal Classification Archives - Black Opal Direct

Posted on 15/06/202015/06/2020 by Melinda Bond — Leave a comment

What patterns are in opal?

Explaining different Australian opal patterns by Black Opal Direct

An opals pattern has a massive impact on its value. Some opal patterns are common and don’t add much value whereas rare patterns send it through the roof. After my video on valuing opal, you guys had a lot of questions on the importance of pattern in opal. Which patterns are common in opal? Are some patterns worth more? Why do some patterns look so different on each opal? Can an opal have more than one pattern? Today I’ll show you how you can learn to identify opal patterns by showing you some of our stock. We’ll look at some of the most known patterns, as well as some rare…

Posted on 01/06/202001/06/2020 by Melinda Bond — Leave a comment

How do I value opal?

I get asked to value opal for other people on the daily, and I understand why. Opal is a notoriously hard stone to value because there are no hard and fast rules you can apply to every stone. The drawing card of opal is the fact that every single stone is unique. Nobody will ever have a gem that looks quite like yours. On the flip side of that, every stone needs an individual valuation. “Is my opal valuable?” There isn’t a simple yes or no answer that I could give you for this. It’s more like, “Yes. No, maybe. It depends on…” A short essay later, and I’d be able to explain…

Posted on 18/05/202018/05/2020 by Melinda Bond — Leave a comment

What is an opal rub? Let’s cut two and see!

4.39 ct gem black opal and 2.86 ct black opal

Today, I’ll explain to you what an opal rub is while cutting two of them! By the time you’ve finished watching this video, you’ll have an answer to these questions: What is an opal rub? Why would miners sell their opal as a rub? Why do opal rubs cost more than rough opal? I’ve got two opal rubs that I recently bought and will be cutting, polishing, and valuing with you today. What is an opal rub? Besides being the sound some frogs make, a rub is a term used for a preformed opal. An opal rub is the stage between a rough and polished and has been rubbed slightly…