How much is opals worth?

How much is opals worth?

Once categorized, opals are sold in price per carat, or weight. Because there are so many opal fields in Australia, there really is no singular form of opal. This means that opal costs can vary from about $10 per carat to approximately $6,000 per carat.

Is opal a good investment?

Opals are a great investment, because they’re only getting rarer, and they can diversify your portfolio providing a safe and real investment you can touch. At the Good Opal co. All opals priced over $500 are considered an investment and come with a certificate of authenticity and grading.

Do opals go up in value?

There are a number of factors that alter the value of opals. The ‘dominant colour’ in an opal can affect its value, with red commanding the highest cost, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. However, do not forget, a blue-green brilliant stone will be more valuable than a dull red.

Why is opal so expensive?

The distribution and intensity of these colorful flashes are what gives the determination of its costing. The opal stone is mainly found in Australia, where the mines supply up to almost all of the global opals gemstones. This is another factor that makes the gemstone more expensive as compared to the others.

Are opals worth more than diamonds?

Getting your hands on opal is easy, but finding gem-quality opal is another story. Diamonds, on the other hand, fetch a high price even for the most low-quality diamonds. Because the value of most diamonds will be higher than opals, while high-quality opals are rarer than diamonds.

How can you tell a quality opal?

There are three main aspects of an opal’s quality:

1. Color—Background color and play-of-color.
2. Pattern—Arrangement of play-of-color.
3. Clarity—Transparency and quantity of inclusions.

Where you can find opal?

Opal is found around the world (Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and the western US) however Australia produces 95% of the world’s precious opal and it is our official national gemstone. (see Google Arts and Culture – Australian opals).

What is the value of a fire opal?

Please note that fire opals, even Mexican fire opals , may not have play of color. The “fire” of fire opals refers to their body color. We don’t have values for fire opals specifically by location. Current prices for very fine quality faceted fire opals could read up to $500 per carat up to five carats, $600 per carat above five carats.

What is the price of black opal?

Black opal is the most prized opal and may realise prices over AUD $15,000 a carat. Boulder opals also have a dark body tone. White opals have a light body tone and are generally the least valuable form of opal.

What are the uses of Opal?

Eckert lists additional uses of opals as: “for use in brick, sewer-pipe, ceramic, and refractory mixes, and as an absorptive ingredient in medicines, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.”. Other uses for opal are as an ingredient in fertilizers and in insulation.

What is the value of an opal stone?

Precious opal is a gemstone that exhibits a brilliant play of colors against a certain body tone, which can be white, black or blue. The white opal, the most common of opal, can fetch a price of up to $2,000 a carat, while the rarest opal, the black opal, can be worth $8,000 per carat, more expensive than sapphire.