Category: Opal Classification

Australian opal patterns can be tricky to learn; no two opals are ever the same! This glorious Australian gemstone doesn’t like to make it easy for us, but there are a few skills to identifying patterns in opal. Here are my tips for budding cutters and opal enthusiasts. A lot of what I learnt about opal, I learnt from my Dad. We’d sit together, his dusty cap on his head as it hung over the cutting wheel, and he’d share with me all he knew. I feel very fortunate to have the knowledge I do and to have been able to hone my skills over the past 30 years, which…

Read More

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…

Read More