Appropriately described as the jewel with iridescent flashes, the opal is a true beauty to behold. But does its magnificence translate into an expensive price tag?
Keep reading to find out…
But First, What Is an Opal?
The opal is a semi-precious gemstone and a form of hydrated silica. It is famed for its elabourate play-of-colour and spectacular body tones that exist in a variety of hues such as white, blue, green, orange, dark black, etc. Given the gem’s iconic appearance, it is a great option for anyone who wants to showcase their style boldly and distinctively.
Is It Expensive?
On a whole, opals are considered to be mid-range gems. Hence, while they aren’t usually as expensive as diamonds, they aren’t as affordable as moonstones either.
This stone’s price depends on six attributes as mentioned below…
1. Class
The value of the opal greatly depends on its naturalness. Doublet and triplet opals (mostly known as synthetic opals), for example, tend to cost less than natural opals.
2. Brilliance
The brilliance of a gemstone refers to the level of brightness that occurs due to the refraction of light. Based on this level, the opal can be classified into one of the four categories mentioned below.
- Brilliant
- Bright
- Subdued
- Dull
Opals that fall within the brilliant and bright categories are more valuable than those that are subdued or dull.
Also read: How to Care for Opal?
3. Play-of-Colour
This is an optical illusion that causes the jewel to flash different patterns and colours in reaction to light. It is the reason behind this stone’s allure and can greatly influence its value.
Four main things can affect this particular attribute…
- The colour of flashes: Red, orange, and green are the most favored hues by far and fetch a higher amount than other colours.
- Intensity: The more intense the play of colour, the more valuable it is.
- The number of colours present: Opals that display every colour of the rainbow are more valued than those that showcase two or three hues.
- Viewing angle: Traditionally, the most expensive opals have play-of-colour that’s visible from all sides.
4. Patterns
An opal’s pattern refers to the positioning of its play-of-colour.
Typically, jewels that feature broader, closely-knit patterns like the harlequin or mosaic patterns are greatly desired. They are, therefore, more expensive than those stones which highlight tiny, scattered patterns.
That said, do note that regardless of the pattern, the gem’s play-of-colour must be bright for it to be considered valuable.
Also read: Are Opals a Good Option for Promise Rings?
5. Body Tone
This essentially refers to the opal’s background colour. Black and red opals are the most prized variations and more expensive than their differently-hued counterparts. This is because of their rarity and ability to better highlight the stone’s play-of-colour.
6. Clarity
Interestingly, the preferred clarity of an opal greatly depends on its type and background hue. For example, transparency is of utmost importance in crystal opals whereas black opals require a certain level of opaqueness to be considered valuable.
Having said that, cloudy backgrounds, fractures, pits, blemishes, and the presence of a matrix in the stone can negatively affect its value.
Conclusion
As seen throughout this article, the price of the opal depends on several factors. Most of them are relatively affordable, however, rare, heirloom-quality pieces are understandably more expensive. Moreover, the price of your opal pendants, opal bracelets, opal rings and other pieces will also depend on the metal you pair it with.
Also read: Is Rose Quartz Expensive?
