[Jewelry making - Article 00924] - Re: [Orchid] Grams per carat - opals question

[mark ruby]

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>         I agree that it doesn't make sense to sell opal by weight. 
>     Would you pay more for a 75 carat white opal with a little pin fire
>     than for a 25 carat black harlequin with lots of red? There are many
>     factors that affect the beauty and value of an opal that have
>     absolutely nothing to do weight. 

    Beth, White opal with a little pin fire sells for about $2-5 / ct.
    Black harlequin w/lots of red sells for about $2000-5000 /ct. Thats
    why opals are sold by the carat. There is quite a range opal prices
    based on quality (soundness), brightness, color pattern, type (
    crystal, semi-crystal, opaque), background color. See Paul Downing's
    book "Opal Identification and Value" for a good overview. 

>        It is quite common for opal doublets to be backed with ironstone
>     or "boulder."  And too many dealers get away with calling these
>     constructs "boulder opal doublets" which implies a greater value
>     than just "doublets."  I tried to make this point with a dealer once
>     at a gem show -- that a doublet was a doublet, no matter what it was
>     backed with; 

    You are absolutely right - a doublet is a doublet is a doublet no
    matter what it's backed with and is sold by the piece (based on that
    "wow" factor - thanks Don) 

>       You can usually tell an ironstone-backed opal from a natural
>     boulder opal pretty easily:  The opal layer is usually perfectly
>     even and there's a very thin black line (the adhesive) between the
>     opal and the ironstone. 

    Some doublet makers are cutting the bottom of the opal wavy and using
    epoxy filled with ground boulder for the bottom. It actually looks
    pretty convincing. Beware! it's still just a doublet. 

Mark Thomas Ruby
SunSpirit Designs
Loveland, CO
970  669-7075

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