[Jewelry making - Article 01269] - [Orchid] Distinguishing synthetic from natural opal?

[Jeanne Rhodes Moen]

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Hello all, 

    I've been ebaying again...well, actually, this was bought about the
    same time the others were, but has only just arrived. I bought a
    large, bright opal that the seller (australian woman) had inherited
    in a parcel her parents had bought in the 1970's. She was told it
    MIGHT be synthetic, so never did anything with it. So she put up the
    last remnants of that parcel on ebay and I bought the largest of the
    stones, a 23x18 oval, red green crystal base (some blue/purple in
    bright light), nice bright stone..color everywhere! 10.7 cts. There
    is so much fire that the only way you can see it is crystal is to
    hold it up w/ a light behind it...then  you can see through it. 

    Anyway, I know that it's worth a lot more than the $12 I paid for it
    w/ postage no matter what it is..but how can I tell if it is natural,
    or for example, a Gilson? I can see it has been manually cut because
    the edges are not polished as well as the top and the back is not
    completely finished. It is a bright stone, even in subdued roomlight. 

Jeanne
http://www.jeanniusdesigns.com

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