05-05-2024 10:06 AM
Hi everyone- bought this necklace 20 years ago and I just don't remember the kind of Opal they said it was and now I am looking to list it. I've googled the heck out of it and the best I can determine is "Crystal"?
Anyone out there know ?
05-05-2024 10:15 AM
Looks like some type of Australian Opal to me.
05-05-2024 10:34 AM
This does not look like genuine opal. What it looks like is a simulated "black opal".
05-05-2024 10:44 AM
Beautiful piece. I'm getting Mexican opal, however there are a lot of fakes out there from you know where. Take it to a jeweler. They would know best.
Happy Selling
05-05-2024 11:03 AM
Yeah I bought it from a reputable jeweler long ago. I am gonna search out a jeweler near me- sadly jewelers are not what they used to be. And I am really keen on getting this right before ever thinking of listing it - so it looks like I'm gonna have to get at least three separate jewelers to look at it.
05-05-2024 11:58 AM
Welcome to the jewelry board you've been moved!
Your Opal has a great deal of Matrix so you may want to search Yowah opal. This is natural and mined in Yowah, South Queensland.
05-05-2024 12:01 PM
thank you so much! I will look that up! I truly believe that it is genuine as the jeweler I purchased from was incredibly reputable and it wasn't inexpensive -I just have to chase it down! lol
05-05-2024 12:51 PM
Looks like Crystal to me as well.
05-05-2024 01:31 PM
Just a thought, this ebay seller deals with this type of Opal...link
You might want to contact him and show him a photo of yours since he is an expert, couldn't hurt. Silver
05-05-2024 01:48 PM
Silver,
Thank you so much for the link! I 'll let you know what I find out!
05-06-2024 10:13 AM
Is the setting open in the back?
I am doubtful that it is natural opal...mainly because who puts that nice of an opal in a sterling setting? If the setting is open in back it may be easier to tell what it is than looking from the front. IF a manufacturer did put that nice of an opal in sterling, they may well have left the setting open in the back to demonstrate that.
I agree with @caldreamer that the play of color looks more foil like, the way you'd expect a simulated opal to look. But photos can be deceiving.
Although the photos look suspicious, a likely possibility is opal triplet. This is a very thin slice of natural opal cemented on to a black onyx back, with a clear quartz top. Triplets often look like fine black opals. You would want to look at the edge (conveniently covered by the bezel setting) and the back (possibly also conveniently covered by the setting).
On the edge, a black opal would follow the natural lines of the opal top to the matrix back, whereas an opal triplet would show a very straight line of assembly. Looking from the back, a black opal would have a dark natural rock matrix, whereas a triplet would be smooth and black like an onyx.
I'm not sure how expensive is expensive to you, but a natural black opal that nice is thousands of dollars. A nice silver piece with an opal triplet is likely a modest few hundred bucks. But opal triplet would explain it being not inexpensive and from a reputable jeweler.
05-16-2024 03:15 AM
Hello. Very hard to say off of a couple of pics - particularly for opal. Even so, b/c the side view does not show a colorless top, I doubt it is a cheap triplet - but, it may be a really good one. Because the zones change color with the change in angle, I think it has real precious opal in it. My best guess is that it is a doublet or high-end triplet wherein someone took tiny precious opal pieces and embedded them in a gold color foil, the bottom layer is probably very dark and there is probably a sealant holding it all together. It is very pretty in any case. Let us know what you find?