Opal is an excellent option to fit in the jewellery of all kinds. They look great in all kinds of pieces of jewellery. Buying opal is a tedious task and it is very important to be vigilant in buying the right opal as opals are not very cheap or economical. The key points to consider in buying the right opal are as follows:
- Base tone is the first thing you need o learn about. There is a base tone guide available on different online sources. Some opal dealers also have the guide on their store. They want the buyers to learn all the details to gauge opals. In this way the buyer can get access to the right dealer. The base body tone actually determines how dark or light the opal is. Look carefully on the top of the opal to determine the base colours.
- Brightness determines how beautiful the opals are and how much do they cost. There are five different scales ranging from the faint to the brilliant. The brightness of the opal depends upon the kind of light falling upon the opal. The colour of opal looks different in warm light and the cool light. The warm colours make them look red, orange and yellow while the cooler lights give them the appearance of green or blue. It is recommended to buy the opal in the day time when it is sunny and bright. Hold the opal in such a way that you have your back towards the window and the sun beams are falling on the opal from above your shoulder.
- The size is another thing that needs to be taken into account. Like other gems it is important to buy the opal in the calibrated shape. It gives an advantage to the buyer because these calibrated options can fit in any kind of mounting. It is better to a free form or large sized opal that can further help you in getting the shape and size that you actually want to have.
- Colour is another element to consider while buying the opals. Usually the opal experts recommend a very unique aspect of colour and shades that is referred as the play-of-colour. It adds to the quality of the opal jewellery. The most precious ones have the colour-of-play covering the entire gemstone. These colours appear in the form of abstract patterns, ribbons and the rainbows. These kinds of opals do great when used in the pendants.
- Faults to avoid: Besides looking for some qualities, it is equally important to have a close look on the things that are considered as the fault in the opal. A shade of white or slightly milky appearance within the opal can make the opal worthless. The quality of the opal also goes down due to the rock or clay that surrounds the opal. Don’t buy an opal with the contrasting potch lines on the face of the opal. Check this link https://www.aodc.net.au/collections/opal-pendants to find out more details.