Tag: buying guide

Most Expensive Opal: The Record-Setting Stones Explained

August 14, 2026 by Richard Lewis

A large uncut rough opal boulder specimen resting on acid-free tissue paper inside an open wooden specimen box, viewed at a low three-quarter angle with a pair of folded white cotton archival gloves beside it, lit warmly from the side against a plain dark background.

The most expensive opal ever found, from Olympic Australis to Aurora Australis, and what actually sets the price of the opal you can buy.

Cat Eye Opal: What Makes It Show That Line of Light

August 11, 2026 by Richard Lewis

A single polished cat's-eye opal cabochon mounted on a wooden dop stick and resting across a lapidary wheel, a sharp diagonal band of white light crossing the dome of the stone, lit warmly from the side with jeweler's tools blurred in the background.

What causes cat eye opal’s chatoyant line, why it shows up in common opal, and how Peruvian and chocolate opal trade names fit in. A jeweler’s guide.

Aurora Opal, Galaxy Opal, Rainbow Opal: What the Names Mean

August 7, 2026 by Richard Lewis

A single opal cabochon held with jeweler's tweezers in extreme close-up over dark velvet, angled directly into a shaft of warm light so its surface shows a full sweep of red, orange, green, and violet play-of-color at once.

Aurora opal, galaxy opal and rainbow opal are not official grades. A goldsmith explains what sellers really mean and how to tell if it is real opal.

Hydrophane Opal: Why Ethiopian Opal Absorbs Water

August 7, 2026 August 6, 2026 by Richard Lewis

A polished Ethiopian opal cabochon resting half submerged in a small glass dish of water on a dark surface, water droplets beading on the exposed half, the wet portion of the stone turned milky white against the clear, colorful dry portion, lit warmly from the side.

Hydrophane opal absorbs water and can cloud or discolor. A goldsmith explains why Ethiopian opal behaves this way, and how to care for it.

Pink Opal and Purple Opal: What They Really Are

July 30, 2026 July 30, 2026 by Richard Lewis

A handful of matte pink and lavender-purple opal cabochons resting in an open velvet ring box on a wooden workbench, showing smooth chalky body color with no iridescent play-of-color flecks.

Pink opal and purple opal explained: the real Peruvian stone, how red opal differs, and what Mexican purple opal actually means.

Blue Opal: Peruvian Stone vs Blue Play-of-Color

July 30, 2026 July 29, 2026 by Richard Lewis

Several polished Peruvian blue opal cabochons in sky-blue and blue-green tones arranged in a diagonal line on pale linen, shot from directly overhead.

Blue opal explained: how Peruvian blue opal differs from precious opal with blue play-of-color, plus meaning and how each wears in a ring or necklace.

Mining for Opals: Inside the Australian Opal Fields

August 5, 2026 July 23, 2026 by Richard Lewis

Miner's headlamp lighting a narrow underground opal drive cut through raw sandstone

Opal mining explained: underground shafts, noodling, and the miners I buy rough from directly, from a working goldsmith.

Dark Opal and the Opal Body Tone Scale

July 30, 2026 July 16, 2026 by Richard Lewis

A dark opal cabochon with a gray-black body glowing with blue and green play of color, lit dramatically against a dark backdrop.

Dark opal explained: how it differs from black opal on the N1 to N9 body tone scale, and what that means for value, setting, and wear.

Alexandrite: June’s Color-Changing Birthstone

July 9, 2026 June 30, 2026 by Richard Lewis

Faceted alexandrite gemstone showing its green to red color change on a jeweler's bench

Alexandrite is June’s rarest birthstone, green by day and red by night. A jeweler explains the color change, its history, value, and natural versus lab-grown.