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IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY FOR ANY REASON, PLEASE EMAIL FOR EXCHANGE OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE
JEWELLERY IS HAND MADE ON OWN PREMISES. ALL NATURAL OPALS COME FROM OUR OWN MINES. PLEASE LOOK AT SELLERS OTHER AUCTIONS AND EBAY STORE, THERE ARE LOTS MORE BARGAIN
AS DIFFERENT MONITORS DISPLAY DIFFERENT COLOURS ,THE PICTURE YOU SEE ON YOUR MONITOR CAN DIFFER IN COLOUR FROM THE ORIGINAL PICTURE
ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE INDICATION OF SIZE ONLY . INSURANCE IS OPTIONAL AT BUYERS REQUEST AND EXPENSE . WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE IN TRANSPORT, ONCE THE PARCEL IS POSTED, IT IS AT THE BUYERS RISK, ONLY INSURED ITEMS WILL BE REPLACED IF LOST OR DAMAGED IN TRANSPORT. WE WILL EMAIL WITH PAYMENT OPTIONS AND DETAILS NOT LATER THAN 24 HOURS AFTER THE AUCTION ENDED. THE WINNING BIDDER MUST CONDUCT US WITHIN 3 DAYS AFTER THE AUCTION ENDED. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER ARRANGEMENTS AGREED ON, PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN 7 DAYS AFTER THE AUCTION ENDED. IF THE WINNING BIDDER DOES NOT CONDUCT US OR WE DO NOT RECEIVE PAYMENT WITHIN 7 DAYS AFTER THE AUCTION ENDED. A "NON PAYING BIDDER " REPORT WILL BE SENT TO EBAY
FACTS ABOUT OPALS
Opal is one of the five precious gems of the world, the others being sapphire, emerald, diamond and ruby. Like DNA, opals are unique and no two are exactly the same. There are many types of opal and they are all precious gems and very beautiful, namely crystal opal, white opal, black opal, boulder opal, matrix opal, yowah nut opal. Black opal tends to be the most rare although other factors such as brilliance, colour and pattern come into play. For example, a top quality, brilliant crystal opal with a range of colours will be of a higher quality than a black opal of lower brilliance and less colour. So take care with internet sites which generalise about opal in suggesting that a black opal will always be better and higher quality than other type of opal.
Brightness This relates to the brightness or brilliance of colour coming from the opal. Some opals will flash brightly and others will be more subtle and subdued. The rarity of colours within an opal follows the order (ROYGBIV) with red being the rarest and most valuable colour with orange , yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet following in value. However, remember the brilliance factor, such that a brilliant green may be more valuable than a less brilliant red. Some opals have a predominant colour and others have a range of colours. All are precious, valuable and beautiful and there are opals to suit all tastes.
Shape and Cut We have had many years experience in cutting a broad range of different types of opal and we take great care to optimise the colour, pattern and brilliance in each piece. We cut standard ( "calibrated ") size opals which will fit into standard size jewellery in all countries. We also cut "free form" shapes which are close to the natural shape of the stones as they came out of the ground.
Size ... Opals like diamonds and other precious gems are measured by carat weight. Quality opal can command a price per carat similar to and quite often more than diamonds.
Birthstone: October
Opal's name evolved from the Greek opallios "to see a change of colour" This renowned "opalescence" occurs because, incredibly, opals consist of up to 10 % water, which refracts to create a rainbow effect. The Greeks believed opals allowed the wearer to see the future. In the Middle Ages, opal was called eye stone, and was said to relieve any number of eye ailments. Some even said opal rendered its owner invisible; not surprisingly, it was popular with thieves! Opal was considered unlucky, a 1829 novel by Sir Walter Scott (as popular in his time as Stephen King is today) spread the notion that opals brought bad luck to anyone not born in October. The once-booming opal trade dropped off for 50 years until Queen Victoria stepped in, making a point of giving opal jewellery as a much publicized royal wedding gift. Victoria was one of the first to appreciate opals from a new source. Australia's white and black opal is world renowned for its abundance and quality. White opal is popular in the United States, while Japanese consumers prefer the much rarer black opal. 95% of mined rough opal is valueless, and 95% of that is very low quality. Only 0.25% is considered good enough to use in jewellery.Fire opal is the third most important variety. Faceted fire opal, which is a bright, translucent orange-red, can resemble a ruby. Fire opal was most often found in Mexico, but that source has almost completely dried up
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