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Precious opal is a term that can
confuse many opal gem lovers. Buyers would surely want to know
whether they opals they plan to purchase or have already
purchased, are precious. The word 'precious' somehow seems to
imply that, an opal gemstone that is not prefixed with the
word precious, has a much lower value. Let us discuss the term
precious in more detail.
You might have noticed that opals
often show a fine display of color flashes, colors of the
rainbow and more. This is referred to as color play, and is
something most gem lovers expect opals to 'perform'. A natural
opal which shows this amazing phenomenon, is referred to as a
precious opal. An opal gemstone that is not natural or that,
does not have the color play effect would not be classified as
a precious opal gem. So are opals that do not show this
effect, less valuable, this is the important question on the
minds of many buyers. A similar situation arises when you talk
about solid
opals, another complicated reference
to opal gems.
What would you call a gorgeous
natural untreated pink or green opal gemstone from the
Peruvian mines. These gems are adored for their serene, gentle
pastel shades. Pink opal set in rose gold or white gold, has a
beauty and grace that even the most expensive black opal
jewelry could not match. For gem lovers, who love the plain
pink shade of this opal, it would surely be one of the most
precious gemstone in their collection. But the importantly
interesting thing about these opal gems is that, they do not
do any color stunt and play. They just sit their with a calm
confidence and seduce even the most ardent gem or jewelry
lover with their sheer color and grace. So you could not
technically refer to these opals as precious opals.
Another good example is the
stunning fire opal gemstone, some of the finest fire opals are
found in Mexico. The mining location of most Mexican fire opal
is in the vicinity of what are now, dormant volcanoes. The
words fire and color play as used to describe opal gems is not
applicable to fire opals, the term fire in their name implies
another feature. This is another valuable type of opal that
unfortunately cannot be called a precious opal gemstone. The
word 'fire' in a fire opal gemstone refers to the orange or
reddish-orange color for the gem - the color of fire and
flames.
A popular opal option is the
assembled variety of opal gemstones. An opal
doublet or opal triplet gemstone would
be grouped into this category. In the case of an opal doublet,
a piece of natural opal is bonded to a dark base. The base is
generally cut from a piece of black onyx or boulder rock. To
make an opal triplet gem, a thin slice of precious opal is
sandwiched between, a transparent top and a dark opaque base
material. The entire bonding process is manually performed,
and adds to the beauty and toughness of the gemstone. More
importantly, opal doublets and triplets make good looking
opals more affordable. The interesting thing is that, the dark
base material used in doublets and triplets, enhances the
effect of color play and flashes posessed by the piece of
natural opal included in the assembled stone. So would you be
right in classifying an opal doublet or an opal triplet
gemstone as a precious opal. There is a grey area here, some
gem experts insist that an opal needs to be a solid opal and
also show the color play effect, inorder for it to be
classified as a precious opal gemstone. Leave jargon aside and
make your own decision as long as, you know what type of opal
you are getting. Paying the right price for the opal that you
get is also important, so deal with a reputed gem or jewelry
provider.
We do hope that the
term precious opal is now well understood by gem lovers
who have read this report. While some gem buyers might swear
that, precious opal gems are better than opals that are
not precious - keep in mind that some very fine natural
opals never show the color play phenomenon. Before you make a
purchase of opal gems or jewelry, read this report, understand
the content and then make up your mind. Should you still have
any doubts or queries, send an email to our experts at sales@kaisilver.com The
team is trained and encouraged to do more than just sell. The
primary objective is to inform and educate gem buyers and
lovers. Having done that, the buyer is allowed to make a well
informed and peaceful buying decision.
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