How do you know if an Opal is Real?
Trustworthy Opal Sellers: The Key to Avoiding Fake Opals
Ensure you buy from trusted opal sellers. Many buyers unknowingly purchase fake opals, mistaking them for genuine ones. The market is flooded with counterfeits, often targeting uninformed tourists unfamiliar with Australia’s national gemstone. So, how do you know if an opal is real? Ensure that you buy from reputable sources and take the necessary precautions to verify the authenticity of the purchase.
It is okay for a seller to sell fake opal, providing that the seller says that it is synthetic, however some sellers are very dishonest and will try to trick people into buying something that they believe is real. So how do you tell if an opal is fake or the real deal?
To an inexperienced buyer, it may be easy to trust what someone is telling as fact. That being said, an opal is natural when made of resin. When you do not know much about opals, it is easy to fall into the trap of the beauty of arrays of colors found in synthetic opals. For an experienced buyer or someone who deals with opals often, it is apparent when an opal is synthetic instead of accurate. Synthetic opal colors do look quite unnatural in comparison to genuine opal. They also do not usually contain any imperfections, whereas a natural opal usually does; being mined from the ground makes it very hard to find an opal without some minor imperfections. Also, look at the back of the opal – often, the potch has different shades of grey/black. Small sand spots or gypsum may also be behind many natural opals. If an opal looks ‘too perfect,’ then there is a high chance it is artificial!
Physical Differences: How to Tell if an Opal is Real or Fake
Synthetic Opal, also known as ‘Gilson Opal’, can also feel unnatural. It may feel a little bit too smooth. Also a plastic type feeling with a little less weight than you expect. You may also see tubular colors stacked within the opal in synthetic opals. If you are unsure when purchasing an opal; get a professionals opinion (ie an experienced gemologist or jeweler to look at the opal).
Buyers need to identify treated opals. Various treatments can enhance the color and brightness of these naturally mined opals. In Australia, treatments are commonly applied to opals like Fairy Opal, found in sandstone-based boulder opal from Queensland. These opals are often boiled in sugar or oil and coated with lacquer for affordable pendants.
Andamooka Opals undergo similar treatments. Other methods include smoking Ethiopian Welo Opals to darken them, as well as treatments applied to Mexican, Indonesian, and opals from other regions of the world.
Making Informed Decisions: What Every Opal Buyer Should Know
Be aware; it is against the law to sell any treated or synthetic opals without informing the buyer. One of the first things an opal buyer should do is to learn the difference between types of opals, and the difference between natural, treated and synthetic opals.
Seeking Professional Advice: Consulting Gemologists and Jewelers
If you are unsure if an opal is fake or real, or have any doubts. we recommend to not buy until you have it checked out by someone with knowledge of opals.