Gemstones are one of those valuable commodities where we usually think a hundred times before buying. Opal, traditionally considered a semiprecious gemstone, is known for its mesmerizing and colorful optical appearance. Apart from the aesthetics, natural opal gemstone is known to bring good fortune, peace, and wealth to the owner. In addition, natural opals are about 60% as strong as a diamond! But are you sure you are paying for a genuine opal?
Yes, there are many artificial opal gemstones available in the market, and some of them are even sold under the name of genuine opal. That’s why we have come up with some essential factors on how to identify natural opal.
Major factors that determine the quality of Opal
Examining the transparency is a primary way to tell about the authenticity of natural opal gemstone just by looking at it. Is the stone pure white, or is it transparent to an extent? If yes, then you might be looking at a real opal stone. It might be a synthetic variant if the stone has a dark body tone as it is usually ladened with black artificial backing.
However, if the opal shows dominant yellow, orange, or red hues, there’s nothing to worry about as it might be a natural fire opal stone. It is a type of natural opal stone that usually comes in such shades instead of pure white.
An artificial opal has distinctly visible layers when you look further to the sides. A thin opal slice is usually attached to a dark backing, making the two different layers visible. In some cases, you can also see three layers where the top layer consists of a clear material that is not natural opal stone.
Examine the bottom or back of the opal. If it is black or grey and feels like a hard plasticky substance, it is an artificial opal stone. This foiling/backing material is called vitrolite backing, which is a kind of glass. However, the job gets trickier when the backing is clear or lighter color like brown. Sometimes people may confuse it for natural opal stone or natural fire opal stone.
Thankfully, one can easily move on to the previous step, which says checking the sides of the opal.
If you buy opal jewelry where the opal is fixated on a base, it is hard to examine the sides and back. Thus, here are some other ways that can be determined without looking at the 360 ° view.
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Look at it in natural white light
Expose the opal into a natural light source such as direct sunlight to see the array of colors. A natural opal stone is meant to show multiple layers of color, giving a rainbow-like color scheme. However, if it appears that color is visible immediately below the surface, it might be fake.
Also, we don’t recommend using a fluorescent light as the opal may show more additional colors than real.
Most gemstone experts have proved that artificial opals which are prepared in laboratories display large patches of color. In addition, the patches of colors are seen to be ‘too perfect,’ sometimes depicting a snakeskin pattern!
This is an important step to keep in mind as ‘imitation opal’ is often created by attaching colored tinsel or foil underneath to make it look colorful. However, a natural opal stone has an irregular yet the attractive pattern of colors reflecting.
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Look closely at the top surface
If the top of the opal seems too glassy or highly smooth, there are high chances that it is fake. Most artificial opals are made by capping a hard clear plastic or quartz to give that glossy effect. A natural opal stone has a bit irregular and unpolished finish, indicating it has not been processed heavily or capped by plastic material.
Last but not least, it is crucial to know about the origin of the opal you are buying. Most natural opal stones are mined in Australia, producing up to 95% of the world’s real opal. If your Opal doesn’t come from Australia, you must be highly cautious because various countries such as Hong Kong and Russia produce high-quality artificial opal.
Where to get the best quality Australian opals online?
Australia has been a primary source of precious opal stone since the late 1800s. Natural Opal stone is a valuable gemstone that brings several benefits to the wearer. However, getting authentic Australian opals online can be quite risky and expensive too. We understand the value of your hard-earned money, that’s why at Brahma Gems, we provide 100% authentic natural Opal stone of Australian and Ethiopian origin.
We are a #1 certified gemstone store with a PAN India delivery service. If you are looking for the best quality, unpolished, and natural opal stone, contact our team today!
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