Risks of Buying Opals Online

1. Misleading Photos and Descriptions

Opals are among the most challenging gemstones to photograph accurately. Their fire, depth, and play-of-color shift dramatically with lighting, angle, and even the observer’s perspective. Unfortunately, this difficulty in capturing true beauty is sometimes exploited.

Some sellers:

• Digitally enhance colors to make the opal look more vivid or larger than it really is.
• Use overly bright or artificial lighting that masks imperfections or dullness.
• Provide only a single or limited number of photos that hide important details, like cracks, potch (common opal without play-of-color), or the stone’s true color base.

Because opals change appearance as you move them, a static photo only tells part of the story. You should never purchase an opal by just a photo. To avoid disappointment, always ask for unedited videos at multiple angles. Watching the opal’s colors dance in motion is the best way to verify the seller’s claims. At Opal Galaxy, we show you every angle of the opals we are selling, all in high definition videos under good quality lighting. We never manipulate our photos or videos to enhance how the opal looks.

2. Synthetic, Treated, or Assembled Opals

Not every opal sold online is a natural, solid stone. There are several types that can look like opals but have very different value and durability:

Synthetic Opals: Lab created opals that mimic the structure and appearance of natural opal but are man made. While beautiful, their value is far lower and they are not natural gemstones.

Doublets and Triplets: These are assembled stones made by sandwiching a thin layer of opal onto backing material (doublet), sometimes topped with a protective quartz or glass cap (triplet). They look good but are more fragile and less valuable than solid opals.

Treated Opals: Some opals undergo treatments like sugar-acid treatment or resin filling to enhance color and clarity. This can make the stone appear more vivid but lowers its long-term value and stability.

Some sellers do not disclose these differences clearly. When buying, always confirm whether the opal is natural, solid, untreated, or otherwise. If a seller cannot or will not provide this information, consider it a red flag. At Opal Galaxy, we only ever sell natural, solid opals. We do not sell synthetic opals, doublets or triplets or treated opals. We also only sell Australian Opals.

3. Overpaying Without Market Knowledge

Opal pricing can be complex, influenced by factors such as:

• Type of opal (black, white, boulder, crystal, fire)
• Color brightness and pattern rarity
• Size and carat weight
• Cut and polish quality
• Origin (Lightning Ridge opals generally command higher prices)

If you’re new to opals or don’t compare prices from trusted sources, it’s easy to pay more than a stone is truly worth. Online marketplaces and social media can sometimes inflate prices due to hype or lack of transparency.

To avoid this, research current market values and get multiple price points before purchasing. Trusted opal sellers will provide fair, well justified prices backed by many years of accurate pricing experience and be willing to answer your questions about valuation.

4. No Returns, No Support; Buyer Beware!

One of the biggest risks with online opal shopping is lack of recourse if the stone isn’t what you expected.

Some common pitfalls:

• Sellers who do not offer refunds or exchanges and will cut you off once they receive the money.
• Online platforms that do not provide buyer protection for gemstone purchases. Paypal is a great payment option for ensuring your purchase is protected.
• Buying directly through social media or messaging apps with no formal contract or guarantees.

Opals are fragile and unique. If an opal arrives cracked, damaged, or drastically different than pictured, you want a way to return or resolve the issue. Before buying, check the seller’s return policy carefully and avoid purchases where you have no support or guarantees.

5. Lack of Certification and Provenance

High value opals, especially black opals from Lightning Ridge or rare specimens, should either come with documentation or at the least a money back guarantee if ever certified and is different to what is sold. You, as the buyer should know the following:

• Country and mine of origin: Knowing whether your opal comes from Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, or Queensland is crucial for value and authenticity. If the seller can provide the exact mine this knowledge is even better.
• Certificates of authenticity: Trusted gem labs or independent experts can certify natural opals, untreated status, and sometimes grade quality.
• Clear disclosure: The seller should transparently state if the opal is natural, treated, assembled, or synthetic.

Without provenance or certification, you are essentially taking a leap of faith. You can minimize this leap of faith by only ever purchasing from reputable online sellers.

How to Protect Yourself When Buying Opals Online

To enjoy the magic of buying opals online without the risks, follow these key steps:

• Buy from reputable, verified sellers with strong positive reviews and a professional website.
• Request unedited videos of the opal in good lighting at 360 degree angles to see the play of color and condition.
• Confirm details about the opal’s nature: Is it natural, solid, untreated? Ask for certification or certification guarantee on high value stones.
• Understand the return policy: Make sure you have a reasonable window to inspect and return the stone if needed.
• Ask for provenance and documentation: Knowing the source adds trust and value.
• Compare prices from multiple trusted sellers to avoid overpaying.