7 ways to choose an opal

Choosing an opal is like searching for a soul mate. The real mystique and value of opals lies in the intangible rather than measurable. Yet, just like with a soul mate, you have to understand opals to appreciate them fully. So, how do you value them?

1. The darker the body tone of an opal, the higher value for the same quality and size lighter opal.
2. Red in an opal is more valuable than orange, yellow than purple and green than blue.
3. The more colours in one opal, the more exciting that opal is.
4. The broader and more defined the opal pattern, the rarer the opal.
5. The more brilliant a colour play in an opal, the pricier the opal.
6. Opals that engage in a play of colour with their full face and at all angles are very rare and thus most valuable.
7. The cleaner an opal’s face, the more valuable that opal is.

Opal Minded, each opal piece comes with a “Certificate of Authenticity” which states the origin and other qualities of the piece. Opals from our own mines come with an origins story and often with a handshake from our founder John Bernard, who personally mines, processes and designs some of our pieces and delivers them to you from the harshness of Jundah-Opalville opal mines in Queensland.
At Opal Minded we insist you only take home an opal piece that would give you the astonishing sensation of finding something unquestionably unique.