Are Australian opals rare?

Is Australian opal rare? While silica is one of the most common minerals on the planet (the mineral that opals are predominantly made up of), precious opal is very rare – far more rare than diamonds.

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Are Australian opals worth anything?

Australian Opal Value Per Carat

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.

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Why is Australian opal so expensive?

Australian opal is considered to be the most valuable of all types of opal thanks to its captivating play-of-colour, beautiful patterning and superior quality. It's ethically mined too.

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Are Australian opals good quality?

Much of the world's precious opal is mined in the harsh outback of Australia, where a unique combination of geological conditions permitted the formation of opal near the margins of an ancient inland sea. Australia is regarded as the world's leading source of opal and of the world's finest opal.

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What is the rarest color of opal?

Black opals are the rarest variety of opal, with precious black opal being even harder to find. However, the highest-valued common opal color is the rare red opal. Orange, green, blue, and purple opals are next in line in terms of value.

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The Opal Whisperers Find Rare Koroit Nut Opal Worth Over $57K | Outback Opal Hunters

38 related questions found

What color is the cheapest opal?

Blue opals are usually very affordable. Its price range is typically from $1 – $250 per carat.

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How do you value Australian opals?

Pattern every opal has its own unique pattern. The brighter and more distinct the pattern of an opal the greater its value. Some defined patterns are exceedingly rare and fetch high prices. Colour type and range – the more colours present in the stone the greater its value.

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How can you tell if an opal is high quality?

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.

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What is the most popular Australian opal?

The most valuable and popular of all Opals is Black Opal. Black Opal accounts for around 5% and is found at Lightning Ridge in Northern NSW.

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What is the best opal found in Australia?

The “Olympic Australis” is reported to be the largest and most valuable gem opal ever found. It was found in 1956 at the famous “Eight Mile” opal field in Coober Pedy, South Australia. A miner working his claim found the opal at a depth of 30 feet.

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Is buying opal a good investment?

With a long term view, opals can be seen as really great investments. If you look at the last 50 years of black opals, they have steadily increased over time. We have never seen a decrease in value in gem quality black opals.

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What is the difference between opal and Australian opal?

Precious opal is defined as opaline silica with a play of colour. The term, play of colour was created solely to describe opal's beautiful shifting of spectral hues. Australian opal is referred to as “sedimentary opal” because it is hosted predominantly by sedimentary rocks of the Mesozoic Great Artesian Basin.

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Do opals increase in value?

World's Most Valuable Gem

is actually 5000 times rarer than diamond. Opal is a diminishing resource and there is anecdotal evidence that suggests an increase of up to 25% per annum in boulder Opal prices and 15% per annum increases in white, crystal, and black Opal.

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What is the least valuable opal?

White opals have a light body tone and are generally the least valuable form of opal. The term crystal opal refers to the 'diaphaneity' (transparency) of an opal, not its crystal structure, and is defined as any type of opal which is translucent to transparent.

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Do Australian opals craze?

It is estimated only around 1-3% of Australian opals crack but some opal fields are more susceptible than others. Most Australian Opals contain 3-5% water. Generally the deeper the miner digs the more water content the Opal will have.

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Who should wear Australian opal?

It is known to possess the virtues of all the gemstones on the spectrum of colours that it displays. The Opal gemstone is particularly favourable for the Taurus (Vrish) and Libra (Tula) zodiac signs. It bestows beauty, confidence, good health, opulence, and love on the wearer.

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What is the rarest opal pattern?

Among the variety of different patterns found in Australian opal stones is the most rare and expensive harlequin pattern.

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What is the best quality opal to buy?

In summary; Black opals are the 'Rolls Royce' of opals, and often have a certain price attachment associated with their status and rarity. Black opals are generally considered to be the best in the world due to their dark body tone.

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Which Australian opal is the most expensive?

The variety of types of opal means the cost can vary from about $10 per carat to approximately $6,000 per carat. At $1 million, the 'Virgin Rainbow Opal' is the world's most valuable Australian opal. It was discovered in 2003 by miner John Dunstan in Coober Pedy of Southern Australia.

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Do real opals lose their color?

Hydrophane opals have the ability to absorb water or liquids, similar to a sponge, resulting in a change of color that may turn the opal translucent yellow or brown and the play-of-color to disappear temporarily. Don't panic though! The color will return once the opal is fully and naturally air-dried.

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Why did my opal turn black?

Heat, humidity, sweat and contact in water can make the amount of water in opals fluctuate. When this happens or when your opal pendant loses or gains water, its colour changes.

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What does a genuine opal look like?

To start, look at the opal closely and examine its color, pattern, and brilliance. Real opals should have a uniform body color, often with a bright fire or play of color that flashes as it moves in the light. The opal colors can range from pale pink to vibrant blues and greens.

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Do opals have resale value?

Australian opal is highly prized, rare and the best quality opal in the world. Opal is considered a safe investment because the material has never dipped in value and has only ever increased due to the demand of the world market and jewellery production.

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How much are old opals worth?

The most valuable Opal, Black Opal, ranges from $50 per carat to $10,000 per carat. Alternatively, White Opal is relatively common and ranges from $10 per carat to $150. Other opal types, such as fire, red, and blue, fall in the $10 to $500 per carat range.

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Are opals getting rarer?

Black opal is becoming increasingly scarce, due to the cost of mining and government legislation on small miners. Unlike the abundance of white diamonds found throughout the world, black opals are now considered one of the world's rarest gemstones.

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