Is my Opal worth anything??

[NOLIMITQUEEN]

Hey guys.... just seeing if anyone has any knowledge when it comes to opals specifically. I have had this opal for quite some years, it was originally set in a very expensive heavy 18k setting, and was purchased yearssssss back by my mother. I had the setting melted down when having a custom piece made, but held on to this opal. Is there a market to sell just my stone? .... Is it worth anything, and if so, where is the best place to try and sell it. How can you tell a good opal from a bad one? It is a pretty good size stone. I have no idea what the carat weight is, but I took pics of it with my millimeter gauge so you could get a better idea of the size. It has a lot of fire and brilliance to it. I'm hoping it may be worth a little money... Your help, and opinions are always appreciated...

 

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[wingmaster]

I'm sure it doesn't look as good in the picture as it should and can't tell for sure is it black opal? I know there's some from Australia that are very expensive can't remember what mine there from though, someone here might know what to look for or I guess you could take it somewhere to have it appraised and tell them it's for insurance and you don't want to sell it for a more honest price. Though they might want to charge to appraise it. HH

 

[NOLIMITQUEEN]

Hello... No it is a white opal... it just has a lot of colors to it. I do have another that I should of added a pic of that I was curious about as well... it's darker, almost a blue gray color... And yes... everyone around where I live charges to do any kind of appraisal whether it be verbal or written... and I'm poor... lol...

 

[Willee]

I would give you $100 for it.
So there ... now you know it is worth at least $100.

 

[NOLIMITQUEEN]

Haha... well I guess that's a start eh?..

 

[Rasputin]

My guess is that it is a created opal with little value. It just has that "look" to me. I hope I am wrong though. You can't always appraise a gem by a picture.

 

[Eu_citzen]

No, this is a natural stone. Australian I'd assume.

There is a lot when it comes to grading opal:
Play of colour (= POC)
weight
Patterns (of the POC)
Cut
Base colour (this is what separates black opal from greybased or crystal opal)

And so on.

 

[NOLIMITQUEEN]

Thank you Eu Citizen.... I was just going to say that I'm 100% certain it is a genuine stone, and not man or lab created. I weighed it on two different scales that I know to be accurate, which I calibrated just to double check. The weight in grams was 1.6.... and on closer inspection I would consider the main color a somewhat gray color, rather then white, if that helps with anything.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

From what I know/have heard, the red is the most desirable color to obtain in opal.
The older they are, they can lose their milky color, and the fire color will come out more.
It's a very pretty stone, and would look nice in a pendant.
I couldn't say on value, I hear it's at least worth $100.

I sometimes will search ebay and etsy for loose stones/prices.....
where and how, some, come up with their pricing, idk......
Thanks for sharing it and GL & HH!

 

[NOLIMITQUEEN]

Yes, it would seem that I should be at least $100 richer upon selling it...

 

[stdenis_jd]

I'm sure it doesn't look as good in the picture as it should and can't tell for sure is it black opal? I know there's some from Australia that are very expensive can't remember what mine there from though, someone here might know what to look for or I guess you could take it somewhere to have it appraised and tell them it's for insurance and you don't want to sell it for a more honest price. Though they might want to charge to appraise it. HH

I think Lightning Ridge black opals are what you're thinking of. I have a small one, nowhere near as gorgeous as the one the OP has...

The red or "fire" is definitely the most sought after color and this one has a ton of it.

If it is in fact natural and not lab-created I would say $100 is an immense undervalue. I would say it's worth at least $500 and that may even be an undershot. I'm not a professional appraiser, but black opals with that kind of fire I believe are in the hundreds/several hundreds of dollars per gram

 

[NOLIMITQUEEN]

stdenis_jd..... Now your talking in a price range I would love to get... lol... .... and yes I am 100% certain that the stone is genuine... not man or lab created...... so hopefully I can get enough information gathered about it, and then find the right place to sell it at ... I've also since found out that the carat weight is approx. 8 carats..

 

[stdenis_jd]

There are about 5 carats per gram, so you have about 7.5 carats. Looks like the going rate for high-gem quality black opals can range into the thousands (per carat!)

That said, pay a few bucks and do what wingmaster said. Get a professional appraisal and make sure you tell them it's for your insurance

 

[NOLIMITQUEEN]

I have to admit... I'm getting a bit confused at it being referred to as a black opal... as the main background color to ME, looks white or light grayish in color. I have this opal as well, that is darker in color... but I don't know a thing about it either.. lol... but this one looks completely different. This one weighs 0.6 grams. and has predominately green and blue fire, with a dark grayish background.

 

[austin]

Ok, first keep it out of the sun. Next, have it appraised. You may be surprised one way or another. You have a single stone. If a jeweler won't buy it, try a rock and mineral show, then a flea market and then Craigslist as a last resort. A newspaper ad may work, but there are just not many folks out there looking for an opal at a ridiculous price. My advice, have it put in a new setting and then wear it...

 

[Rasputin]

I love the play of color in the stone. I always preferred the pinks, reds and oranges to the ones that had a predominate green and blue body color. They are just warmer.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Your profile indicates you're in North Carolina.

Seems to be plenty opals found in Western NC. There used to be an active NC gem hunter/trader here named BurntBear, but it has been nearly a year since he was active on TNet. His website is: One Time Collectibles

I did a Google search (duckduckgo = not tracked) for opals in NC:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=opals+north+carolina&t=ffsb&ia=web

I personally don't know a thing about gem stones, but it sure is pretty

 

[Eu_citzen]

Technically a "Black Opal" is N1-N3, if memory serves. We use a scale from N1(pitchblack) to N9(white)
Many sellers are VERY optimistic about their stones on the internet.

 

[RockinIdaho]

I have heard that opals need to be worn they need the oil from your skin. And supposedly there are tricks tostoring them.