Gems — black opal
Opals: Some thoughts on their special allure and their challenges for the jeweler
Posted by Yvonne Raley on
Opals: Some Thoughts on Their Special Allure and their Challenges for the Jeweler If you’ve been following my shop for a few years, you will notice that I have never carried a lot of opals – not until recently! You may know of my dislike for Ethiopian opals but if not, here's why I don't really like them: I bought some Welo opals shortly after they initially came out and there was a bit of a craze – prices actually went up from a few bucks a carat to $50-70 per carat wholesale within a year or two. Shortly after...
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- Tags: Australian opals, black opal, doublets, fire opals, Juergen, koroit opal, matrix opal, mexican fire opals, opal stones, opals, white opal
Buying Opals, Pro’s and Cons
Posted by Yvonne Raley on
I do not carry a lot of opal jewelry in my shop, but with the month of opal coming up, I can share with you my experience with this gem. As you know, opal is a very soft stone and that makes it hard to work with – one reason I don’t carry it much. Bezel settings look nicest, yet prongs are safest if you don’t want to crack the gem or expand an inclusion to the surface. You need an experienced...
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- Tags: black opal, blue, boulder opal, cabochon, carat, green, koroit opal, opal, play of color, queensland opal, welo opal