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Opal is a unique, high-value gemstone. Simply saying “highly praised” and “extremely valuable” it’s insufficient to explain opal’s beauty. Its exciting use of color captivates the viewer. Opal holds a significant position in high-end jewelry. Why is it so valuable? What qualities of opal cause the price to reach hundreds of dollars per carat? Let’s look into the gorgeous opal flashes to find out.
Eight factors determine Opal’s value. The primary factors include color, play-of-color, pattern, clarity, brightness, country of origin, and the lack of treatment. The finest opals possess a black base color and exhibit a vibrant, well-balanced, and uniformly dispersed play-of-color. They are entirely untreated and originate from Australia.
Opals are more expensive than diamonds and gold! Australian black opal price can sometimes reach even $10,000 per carat (0,2 grams only!). It’s complicated to evaluate opal because every stone is unique.
What are the factors of opal value? Which color or type of flashes are preferable? Maybe the country of origin plays the first role? We are delighted to tell you about Opal. Each property of the stone is a miracle. Let’s check them all!
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Does Opal Have Any Value?
The Roman word opalus was synonymous with the precious stone. There is something valuable in an opal, for sure.
Opal is a precious gemstone. It has a unique property of play-of-color, which any other gemstone doesn’t have. It is highly prized and often used as a central stone in high-end jewelry. The top-quality black opals reach $6,000 per carat value, which is more expensive than gold and diamonds.
First, we need to start with the opal categories. The approach differs from the classical approach to mineral gemstones. Precise chemistry and structure don’t work here.
Here are the main opal categories commonly used in the trade:
- Black opal. Opal has a black background, which perfectly contrasts with the colorful play-of-color.
- White opal. Opal has a distinct play-of-color, where the background color ranges from translucent white to medium gray.
- Crystal opal. Where the background ranges from transparent to semitransparent.
- Water opal. The background is similar to crystal opal; however, it shows faint or no play of color.
- Boulder opal. A very different type of opal, as it includes host-rock fragments, or matrix, as part of the finished gem.
- Fire opal. An opal where the background color ranges from transparent to translucent reds and oranges to yellows. It either can or cannot show play-of-color.
- Other opal types. There are a lot of other gem-quality opals. Some of them are non-phenomenal, which means they do not have play-of-color. Opals can occur in pink, blue, and different colors, with high to low saturation and varying patterns.
How Can You Tell if an Opal is Valuable?
Opal is so mesmerizing that it’s hard to evaluate it from the first and even from the second glance. Further, we will try to abstract from the enchanting opal’s brilliance and deduce the opal’s value factors.
There are 8 factors of opal value. Color, pattern, and clarity are the main ones. Valuable opal is that with black background color; play-of-color contains hues that range across the entire spectrum; fashes are big enough and evenly distributed in the whole gemstone, without any inclusions or fractures.
There is a list of factors that are used to determine opal value. They are slightly different in Australia and The United States. However, there are primary factors similar to those of traders and apprisers from all over the world.
- Color
The color factor is probably the main one. It is subdivided into the background color and play-of-color. Dark background colors like black or dark blue are the most desirable as they create a contrast to the play-of-color phenomenon.
The rarest play-of-color contains hues that range across the entire spectrum. Red is often considered the most desirable play-of-color hue. It is also essential to determine which colors of flashes are located together. Red, which is next to blue, is a precious combination.
- Pattern
The pattern is a way of play-of-color arrangement. Standard terms for play-of-color patterns include:
- Pinfire or pinpoint: small, closely set patches of color;
- Harlequin or mosaic: broad, angular, closely set patches of color;
- Flame: sweeping reddish bands or streaks that shoot across the stone;
- Peacock: mainly blue and green.
Large, closely arranged patches of color are preferable over tiny, scattered dots. As with any play-of-color, no matter what the pattern, colors must be bright for the stone to be valuable.
- Clarity, transparency, and several inclusions
Opal clarity can range from absolutely transparent to opaque. A cloudy or milky background color reduces the value of an opal.
Opal is a mineraloid with the following chemical formula: SiO2*nH2O. We can see from the formula that opal has water in its composition. Opal contains up to 20% water trapped in its silica structure.
When it’s subjected to heat or constantly exposed to the sunlight, opal can dry out, leading to tiny fracture formation. Crazing – the network of tiny fractures that develops when an opal loses moisture. These fractures lower the value of the gemstone. In more diversified lists of opal’s value factors, the following criteria can be included:
- Brightness
Australian Opal Association considers 7 subdivisions of brightness from the brightest B1 to the dullest B7. The more colorful the opal, the more expensive its value will be.
- Shape
Opal is almost always cut en cabochon. A cabochon stone is more valuable when it has a high dome than a flat stone. This is because cabochons make ideal ring stones, but flat stones are less desirable as they cannot be used in many jewelry designs.
- Country Origin
Australia has a worldwide reputation as the world’s most expensive opals. Many countries like Ethiopia, Mexico, and Brazil produce suitable opals. Each country’s opals may be unique, and this factor helps determine the opal price.
- Opal field source
Certain mines are known in the trade for producing good quality rough that makes excellent stones. This happens in Australian and Ethiopian opal fields.
- Natural or treated
Opals are porous, so they can be easily treated to enhance the quality of a background color. Sometimes, opals can be assembled to produce triplets and doublets. All of these should be appropriately disclosed. Treatment decreases opal value.
BTW: Do you want to know more about rock and mineral identification? The books listed below are the best ones you can find on the internet (Amazon links):
- Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals
- Gemstone & Crystal Properties (Quick Study Home)
- Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals (National Geographic Kids)
Why is Opal Worth So Much?
Opal is a rare gemstone because its formation requires a particular environment. Opal is worth so much because of its unique play-of-color phenomenon, which cannot be observed in any other gemstone. Opal is so costly because every stone has its exclusive pattern. There are no two similar opals.
TIP: Correctly cutting and polishing opals brings beauty and exceptional color flash. Find out the step-by-step guide on how to cut and polish opals in the article below:
How to Cut & Polish Opals: Follow These 9 Simple Steps
How to Determine Opal Value?
A list of factors determines the Opal value. The main is color. The most valuable background is black. Play-of-color patterns should have extensive and bright sparkles of different colors that are evenly distributed. Valuable opal has no inclusions or cracks. Opal should be free of any treatment.
Here is a brief step-by-step description of how to determine opal value:
- Try to pay attention to its dominant background color to tell if the opal is valuable. Black or dark background colors are precious, producing appealing contrast to the play-of-color phenomenon.
- The second step is to understand which color is prevalent in play-of-color sparkles. Red is the most valuable, while greens and blues are the least useful. Also, the distribution, contrast, and abundance concerning the play-of-color phenomenon should be checked. The most valuable samples have an even distribution and high contrast of colorful flashes.
- The third step is transparency evaluation. High transparency is desirable in crystal opal but tends to reduce the value of black opal. Check for pits or blemishes visible on the top of the gem because they strongly detract from value. Check for signs of poor durability, like cracks, flaws, or cloudy areas. Look for signs of crazing by holding the opal up to a light source.
Opal Value (Price) per Different Units
The price for opal can be described in the next span: from $10 – 6,000 per carat. Exceptional Australian black opal commands the highest prices – up to $10,000 per carat. Rough opal prices are usually expressed in grams, pounds, and kilos. A kilogram of opal rough starts from thousands of dollars.
| Units | Opal Value |
|---|---|
| per carat | $10 – 6,000 Black opals weighing 5-10 carats can cost up to $50,000. |
| per gram | $50 – 30,000 |
| per ounce | $1,400 – 840,000 |
| per pound*rough opal | $1,000 – 52,200 |
| per kilo*rough opal | $2,000 – 100,000 |
TIP: When we hear a rare gemstone collocation, we imagine a sparkling diamond on a velvet pillow. But it’s just a huge misconception. Check out the rarest gemstones in the article below:
13 Rarest Gemstones on Earth: You will be Shocked!
Opal Value (Price) per Different Colors
Black-colored opal is in the highest demand. Black opal prices range from $60 per carat (0.2 grams) to $10,000 per carat. Common white opal can be purchased for $10-150 per carat. Blue and pink Peruvian opals’ value ranges from several dollars to tens per carat.
| Color of Opal | Price |
|---|---|
| Black | start from $60 per carat (occasionally reach $6,000 -10,000 per carat for truly exceptional stones) |
| White | $10 – 150 per carat |
| Fire | $40 – 500 per carat |
| Blue | $7 – 300 per carat |
| Pineapple* | For example, a sample 86 x 76 x 53mm, 1000 carats cost $15,000 The price for the sample can reach up to $500,000. |
| Red | $10 – 200 per carat |
| Rainbow | $10 – 1,000 per carat |
| Pink | $7 – 300 per carat |
| Green | $10 – 200 per carat |
*it’s not a yellow color opal; it is a form of occurrence
Opal Value (Price) per Places of Origin
The most valuable opal is considered to be Australian. Australian opal’s price ranges from $10 – 6,000 per carat, occasionally reaching $10,000 per carat for exceptional black opals. Fire Mexican opals’ price points range from $7 – 300 per carat. Ethiopian opals are also quite expensive.
| Place of Origin | Opal Value |
|---|---|
| Australia | $10 – 6,000 per carat. Black Australian opal can reach $10,000 per carat for top-quality stones. |
| Ethiopia | $5 – 250 per carat |
| Oregon (the USA) | $3 -10 per gram |
| Louisiana (the USA) | $3 – 20 per carat |
| Brazil | $10 – 200 per carat |
| Mexico | $40 – 500 per carat |
| Peru | $7 – 300 per carat |
Where to Buy Real Opal Stones?
The best option to buy real opal is visiting local stores near the opal deposit. It is the best chance to purchase rough opal for the best price. Buy opals from companies that concentrate on opals only and do not retail other gemstones. Ask for a certificate. It will protect you from buying fakes.
TIP: Many different fakes have been created to make the opal affordable to a broader range of people. Check out the main differences between real and fake opals in the article below:
Real vs. Fake Opal: Focus on These 6 Differences
FAQ About Opal Value
Sill did not find the answer to your answers about opals value. Find frequently asked questions in the section below:
Is Opal Worth More than Diamond?
Everything depends on the quality of both diamond and opal. However, sometimes high-quality opal’s price reaches several thousand dollars per carat (0.2 grams). Black Australian opals are worth up to $10,000 per carat, which is far more expensive than common diamonds.
Is Opal Worth More than Gold?
Opal is more expensive than gold, for sure. Today, the gold price is around $60 per gram, which is $12 per carat. At the same time, opal can be purchased for $10 to thousands of dollars per carat, and in exceptional cases, the best quality material can be purchased for $6,000 per carat.
What color Opal is Most Valuable?
Black opal is the most valuable type of opal. A black opal of exceptional quality can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Black Australian opals are truly exceptional and the highest prices reported are $10,000 per carat for out-of-this-world stones.
Conclusion
Opal covers the whole spectrum of colors, from completely transparent to opaque. Dramatic variation in color and types of play-of-color phenomena make opal a hard gemstone for value determination.
Consequently, opal prices are also hardly predictable. For example, rough common opal can cost just a few dollars per gram, while top-quality Australian black opals command prices up to $10,000 per carat (0,2 grams).
Here is a list of main opal value factors:
- Color (background color and play-of-color).
- Pattern.
- Clarity, transparency, and some inclusions.
- Brightness.
- Shape.
- Country origin.
- Opal field source.
- Natural or treated.
TIP: Opals are among the most beautiful gemstones you can find in nature. Check out the best locations for finding opals in the United States in the article below:
4 Best Locations for Finding Opals Near Me (United States)