On a scale of one to ten Opal is easily the hardest gemstone to try and value.

Opal
has an infinite number of variables including color, pattern, brightness and origin.
Opal has a complicated classification system for valuations that is much harder than
diamonds or any other gemstones.

If you are ready to take the plunge and purchase your first Opal or if you are an avid
collector, this article is going to walk you through the 10 factors that contribute to
the final price of an Opal.
Given that there are 10 separate factors that con contribute to the final price of an
Opal, there is a certain degree of movement in pricing. Many Opal miners can under
or over value their opals when it relates to supply and demand and what market they
are selling to. Many buyers on Opal Auctions use our ITEM WATCH to track what
Opals sell for.
Over many years there has been guidelines developed on how to value Opal. We are
going to explore the 10 factors that contribute to an Opals final value. These factors
are:
1. Color
2. Direction / Play of Color
3. Pattern
4. Body tone
5. Brightness
6. Shape
7. Inclusions
8. Which Opal Field
9. Natural vs Treated
10. Country Origin
How Opal Is Valued in Lightning Ridge, Australia
At Lightning Ridge in Australia, they have a committee that values opal miner’s
opals each Saturday. Several experienced opal values will price the opal per carat
and the final value will be determined by the average price per carat. The above
factors can vary from person to person and that is the reason you may see variation
in price per carat amongst miners. During this article if you are not sure of any of
the terms, checkout our glossary for an explanation on just about everything spoken
in the Opal world.
COLOR
Color is the first thing that you will notice about an opal. Red is the rarest and most
sought out color. In order of value, the most valuable color is red, then orange, green,
blue and purple. However, Opal is usually never a single color. It is important to
decide what the dominant color is followed by any secondary colors. Use the
dominant color as the color that will affect the price.
Some Opals of note would be the red Opal with a purple hue color bar hidden inside.
This will create a deep majestic red color. Also electric blue Opals are more valuable
as the hidden color bar makes the Opal brighter than the normal blue.
Density and intensity of color is also important to determine the price. The thickness
of the color bar can help to amplify the brilliance of the Opal color. Seam Opal
generally has a thinner color bar than opals formed in a knobby.
DIRECTION OF COLOR
Opals are a gemstone that dramatically change appearance based on what angle the
Opal is viewed at. When an Opal is at its brightest, this is called ‘facing’. The
direction of color can affect the price because it will determine how versatile the
Opal is. If it only faces in one direction, it may only be suitable for a Pendant for
example. Opals that face with strong fire from all directions make good ring stones.
These Opals are very versatile and are more valuable than one directional opal. A
fine quality Opal will look good no matter what direction it is viewed at.
An opal that faces in one direction is ideal to make into a pendant. The jeweler will
set it in the right direction so as to show as much of the fire as possible. Some multi-
color opals might have 1 or 2 strong colors that have different directional faces and
these can be hard for jeweler to set. Dead spots are when no color is visible from a
certain angle. These will lower the overall value of the Opal.
PATTERN
Opals that have a rare or unique pattern are more valuable. The Harlequin pattern is
the rarest and most loved pattern in opals but it is very rare. A True harlequin pattern
is a mosaic broad pattern, angular close set of colors. Floral patterns are sometimes
called floral harlequin. Some top patterns are Mackerel, Block, Broad flash, rolling
flash, Pinfire, Rainbow and most sought out Ethiopian opal is the Honeycomb
pattern. Opals that have no or only slight pattern are generally less valuable.

BODY TONE
The Opal Body Tone Guide was endorsed by the Opal Association of Australia and
was intended to be a guide for Black Opal and Boulder Opals. It is now generally
excepted for all opals worldwide. Opals are grouped in 9 sub categories N1 to N9
with N1 the darkest opal and N9 the lightest.
 Black opals are generally the most valuable and have a body tone of N1 to N4
 Opals with N5 to N6 considered a semi black or dark opal.
 Body tone N7 to N9 are called crystal opals.
BRIGHTNESS
The Opal brightness guide was produced by the Australian opal association along
with the body tone guide. There are 7 sub Brightness ratings with B1 the brightest
to B7 the dullest. The brighter the Opal, the more expensive will be its value.
SHAPE
Oval stone is generally considered more valuable than free form, except with boulder
opals where free form is considered desirable. The shape of the Opal once again
determines how versatile it is. Oval stones generally have the best face of color and
can be used in a variety of applications.
Opal is almost always cut in a cabochon. A cabochon stone is more valuable when
it has a high dome compared to a a flat stone. This is due to the fact that cabochons
make ideal ring stones but flat stones are less desirable because they cannot be used
in many jewelry designs.
INCLUSIONS
Inclusions and potch lines and are not to be confused with cracks. A crack line
reflects light and greatly devalues an Opal. It is worth reading about the difference
between crazing and cracking in an Opal.
A potch line has no light reflection and these opals are generally valued lower but
can make artistic picture patterns.
Some Opals will have a vegetation pattern from the inclusions and this is popular as
the opal has replaced some of the tree or vegetation. Sand or windows also reduce
the value of the opal. A window is a gap on the bottom where potch has not formed
and opal is transparent.
Ethiopian opal can have a ghost or phantom inclusions or vegetation matter. These
types of inclusions are generally accepted as reasonable in this type opal.
OPAL FIELD SOURCE
The end buyer or wholesaler might not be able to consider this factor. But in the
trade certain mines have a reputation of producing good quality rough that makes
excellent stones. This happens in Australian and Ethiopian opal fields. Even the
depth of the mine can greatly effect value.
In the trade, this can be an important factor for repeat buyers. If you find a seller has
certain stocks that you like, it is best to purchase from that group.
NATURAL OR TREATED
Natural Opal is always valued higher compared to treated Opal. Over the last few
years smoked or treated Ethiopian crystal opal has been sold as natural Black Opal.
This treatment is not permanent. Opal Auctions has sellers who must clearly state
that the opal is treated. Unfortunately, we now see lots of fake opals offered for sale,
not only online but also spiced in parcels of rough opals.
Fake Opal or synthetic Opal is also something to watch out for. It is best to educate
yourself on how to spot a fake Opal. Opal doublets and triplets do not have the same
stringent criteria as solid opals and are valued considerable less. It is important to be
able to pick a doublet opal compared to a solid and this can be difficult when the
opal is set into jewelry. Check out these resources:
  What Is an Opal Doublet?
 What Is an Opal sTriplet?
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Australia has a worldwide reputation as the world’s most expensive opals. Many
countries now produce good opals like Ethiopia, Mexico and Brazil. Each country’s
opals may be unique and this factor helps determine the Opal price.
SHOP FOR OPAL

Black Opal Boulder Opal

Ethiopian Opal Crystal Opal