Australia is the world’s leading producer of high-quality, low-cost precious opal. As a result, many individuals choose to buy Australian opal jewellery over other offered types.
Solid Australian opals are untreated, natural opal gemstones cut and polished to perfection after being extracted as a raw chunk from the earth. Small crews responsibly harvest most of Australia’s opal in remote areas like Western Queensland’s Winton, South Australia’s Coober Pedy, and New South Wales’ Lightning Ridge or White Cliffs. As with Queensland boulder opal, rough opal might appear as a nobility, be discovered in a seam, or be exposed in its ironstone host rock. Australia is known for producing the best opal in the world and is the world’s top producer of commercial, gem-grade opal.
Solid Australian opals come in four colours: black, white or light, crystal, and boulder.
- Black Opal
Black opal is the rarest and most expensive variety of opal in the world and is exclusively found in Australia, mainly at Lightning Ridge in remote New South Wales. Black opal, regarded for its intense spectrum and appears in some of the world’s most exquisite jewellery collections, is ablaze with a rich and bright rainbow of colours set against a dark or black body tone. Dark opals are those whose body tones are dark but not entirely black.
- White Or Light Opal
Precious white or light opal, often found near Coober Pedy and Mintabie in South Australia and White Cliffs in New South Wales, typically has a softer, more pastel variety of colours than black opal. This kind of opal, also known as milky opal, has a white or light body tone.
- Crystal Opal
Crystal opal has a translucent, light body tone and got its name from how transparent or translucent it is, similar to glass or rock crystal. Observe some light travelling through a crystal opal by holding it to the light. Opals are stunning gemstones. The orange glow the crystal opal’s body emits when illuminated from behind is another intriguing characteristic. Black crystal opal is a dark and black opal that also displays translucency.
- Boulder Opal
This stunning kind of Australian opal, primarily found in Western Queensland, resembles black opal in appearance but occurs naturally in holes inside brown-red ironstone or “boulder.” Boulder opal, one of the most well-liked Australian opal varieties for jewellery makers to incorporate into opal jewellery, has a dark body tone and is rich in colour.
Tips for Buying Opals Online
You are ready to buy Australian opal now that you’ve thoroughly understood its complexity.
Here are some guidelines for purchasing opals online:
Photography – Buying opals online is uncertain because you never know what camera equipment a seller uses, what lighting conditions they undertake, etc. Keeping this in mind, there will always be subtle differences between how the opal appears online and how it appears in your hand. Look for opals with a video to see the colour play from every angle.
Choose a genuine opal – Genuine opal gemstones will come with a certificate of authenticity. This is especially crucial for distinguishing between manufactured and real opals.
Buy from Opal Auctions online if you are a new buyer or are unfamiliar with the opal valuation method. Online opal auctions give the bidder the authority and, in turn, affect the opal sector.
Contact the vendor when in doubt – If you have any questions about purchasing opals, don’t hesitate to ask. Most jewellers would gladly answer your queries and assist you in selecting the correct opal.
Conclusion
Buying Australian opal is a complicated procedure at first since there is so much to understand! Like any new activity or ability, the more you practice, the better you will become. Consider this helpful guide to buying Australian opals that assists you in making the best decision throughout your search.
