Australian Black Opal Information

Obrada...

Highly prized and sought after by kings, emperors, maharajas and sultans, the majestic opal has been desired throughout the ages. Its intrinsic beauty and ever-changing colours and patterns keep those who poses it spell bound. Many historic opals were crystal which tended to produce milky white colours not the bright flashes as the Black Opal above. The discovery of black opal in Australia in the late 1800’s with its bright colours changed the gemstone world. This new black opal became to be known as the ‘Queen of Gems’.

Lightning Ridge is the home of the beautiful black opal. It is nestled away among high ridges covered with scrub and pebbles. It is here that eons ago, nature hid the earth’s rarest gem, black opal. The beauty of the green trees, blue sky and red pebbles is reminiscent of the ever-changing colours of the magnificent opal found deep below. Unlike other gemstones no one opal is the same.

SPEC the black opal dog miner Lightning Ridge 1990

Lightning Ridge, however, was not the first place to report black opal. It had been found in Egypt in 1899, two years before Jack Murray sank the first hole at the Nobby in 1901, at Jundah, Queensland and later at White Cliffs. But Lightning Ridge opal was different, and it is this difference that has made it famous. Until that time, the world had never seen such incredible patterns in opal on such a beautiful black back. The supply of black opal from Lightning Ridge dramatically changed the way gem merchants evaluated opals, setting an unprecedented hallmark for the gem. Black opal is the rarest and most valuable of all opals and is generally found as a bar of various colours in a dark body. In addition, there is also semi black and black crystal. Lightning Ridge in New South Wales is the worldwide home for black opal and is widely regarded as producing the best black opal in the world.

Australian Black Opal Mining

Black opal is getting harder and harder to find. Not only have fuel prices and lease fees made it very costly to mine for opal, but the scarcity of Black Opal is now a reality. This trend has been emerging for years, and it is now rare to find quality red fire black opal. The majority of opal being mined at Lightning Ridge is now seam opal, which is formed in bands similar to opals from Coober Pedy. Black opals that have formed as nuggets are now rare to find. Even the color base of black opals is different to years ago; the natural base is now more of a grey black color rather than dark black as it used to be. Miners are finding much more semi-black opal. Black opal color guides can be used to grade the darkness of a Black Opal. N5 is the darkest, and Hi the lightest.

Black Opal Investment

Black opal have always been the informed buyers top choice when selecting gemstones for investment. They have a strong red fire and a dark black base are considered extremely rare and as an investment will generally appreciate by at least 20% per year.

Many black opals sold on Opal Auctions have increased in value between 20 and 30% per year and some black opals valued at $1000 per carat have now increased to $3000 per carat. Investors in black opal should always look for top opals that have a black base.

Other factors include-

Cabochon shape (domed tops are ideal for Jewelry)
Uniqueness of the pattern and color. Red is most valuable but some orange and green fire ribbon patterns can also make for excellent investments.

Black opals have always been the favourite type of opal for serious collectors, but boulder opal has increased in popularity as well. The Japanese market tend to prefer black opal cabochons and have helped moderate an ongoing value increase for this opal type. One of our most expensive Australian Black Opal ever sold on Opal Auctions is a 37.30 carat Black Opal sold by Rollingstone Opals for $37,500. It is a gem fire Black Opal with body tone N1 and brightness rated at 5 out of 5.

Australian Black Opal Availability

There are a few spectacular opal collections in Australia but none that include a large Black Opal collection because they are so rare. This trend is repeated overseas, where large Opal collections can be found in several countries including the US, Hong Kong and Germany but a large collection of black opal is very rare indeed.

Black Opal Market Trends

With the ever increasing cost of opal mining mainly driven by oil prices and dwindling availability, the opal mining industry is coming under more and more pressure.

In Lightning Ridge all the “easy” mines have already been exhausted, and miners are facing very tough and dangerous mining conditions to extract opal in the more dangerous mines. Low grade black opal is steady and available so the common laws of supply and demand are in force.

Opalholics - now is the time to buy investment opal because the supply of high grade black opal is thinning, and the mining community of Lightning Ridge as a whole is not finding much opal, which can only mean one thing for prices.

How Black Opal is Graded and Sold

How would you set this black opal? As ring or pendant? If pendant which way would you face this opal ABCD? Opals have lot more decisions required than any other gemstone as each one is so unique and special.

Black Rough Opal parcels are sorted into three grades: tops, middle, and low. Each tops parcel has a King stone,which is the best stone in the parcel. Some parcels have several King stones. Color is the primary criteria for grading, but the graders also take into consideration the number of imperfections and faults, and whether a stone is the right shape to be cut into an oval or one of the other popular shapes. You can buy rough opal in several different conditions.

Mine Run. Direct from the opal mine. The stones have not been cut or ground down. This means that there is more guesswork in the cutting.

Purchasing mine run opal can be risky if you are not very experienced.

Off - Cuts. The miner has removed whatever opal he has a market for and sells you what’s left. With off cuts, you can usually tell what you are going to be able to cut. You must still watch for cracks in the opal because once a crack becomes obvious, a stone can lose half its value.

Rubs. This can often be the best way of buying rough if you are not very experienced. The miner has cut and ground the stones into basic shapes, after having removed most of the rubbish. What you have left is the stone nearly ready for the dopping and polishing process. You have the satisfaction of cutting your own stones without the high risk of buying mine run rough. Opal is officially sold in troy oz. There are approximately 30 grams to a troy oz and approximately 30-oz to a kilo.

Black opal mined from Lightning Ridge has always had good reputation for blue opals on black. These opals in the 1980s were common in the Cochran opal fields at Lightning Ridge and these were Nobby opals not seam opal, that is the opal was formed naturally in rock with black potch on top and bottom.

The seam opal has lighter black back and sometimes with grey or sandy potch on top. Black opal nobbies are best investment opal as from 1990s production of black nobbies has dramatically decreased and only seam opal is found today. We see less and less black opals with blue fire colours

Some blue opal from Lightning Ridge has magic electric blue fire and flash and also some best natural patterns of opals are in blue colour, from broad flash to block pattern and they are very attractive in white gold ring.

Black Opal Pairs

Black Opal Parcels

Black Opal Carvings

These days white gold jewellery is very popular and some crystal opals do not suit white gold jewellery but black opals blue colour are stunning, even set with diamonds they look so attractive to the eye, especially blue hues in a black opal. Black opal has promoted red fire opal as the best opal for investment.

Rating colour of black opals are as follows in regards to price per carat

Red
Orange
Green
Blue

However Blue opal has been under valued as investment opal, black opal with red fire has increased in value 50% per year over last 10 years. Black opal with cabochon and good flash has doubled that figure to make it the best investment colour if you had purchased blue fire opal 10 years ago

Also when purchasing opal over the internet always ask seller if opal is as bright as picture, so good idea to ask for picture of hand holding the opal as the picture cant be enhanced as the colour of skin looks different ,either greyish or pinkish looking means the picture has been enhanced

Opal is also rated in accordance to brightness. Body tone which is how the opal is visual is also measured from N 1as blackest to N9 as lightest opal. Also check with seller that the bottom of opal is clean, that’s is all natural potch ,black preferred to grey or if potch/sand is evident on bottom.

Lastly the more cabochon the opal also the more valuable, so flat opals are generally less expensive than well domed opals. Opals that are cabochon Jed reflect light better and rolling flash pattern is very popular as shows colour from all angles

Enjoy your own Black Opal!

Visoko cijenjen i tražen od strane kraljeva, careva, maharadža i sultana, veličanstveni opal bio je željen kroz stoljeća. Njegova intrinzična ljepota i boje i uzorci koji se neprestano mijenjaju očaravaju one koji ga postavljaju. Mnogi povijesni opali bili su kristali koji su proizvodili mliječno bijele boje, a ne svijetle bljeskove kao crni opal iznad. Otkriće crnog opala u Australiji u kasnim 1800-ima sa svojim svijetlim bojama promijenilo je svijet dragog kamenja. Ovaj novi crni opal postao je poznat kao 'kraljica dragulja'.

Lightning Ridge je dom prekrasnog crnog opala. Smješteno je među visokim grebenima prekrivenim šikarom i šljunkom. Ovdje je prije eona priroda sakrila najrjeđi dragulj na Zemlji, crni opal. Ljepota zelenog drveća, plavog neba i crvenog šljunka podsjeća na neprestano mijenjanje boja veličanstvenog opala koji se nalazi duboko ispod. Za razliku od drugog dragog kamenja niti jedan opal nije isti.

SPEC crni opalni pas rudar Lightning Ridge 1990

Lightning Ridge, međutim, nije bio prvo mjesto koje je izvijestilo o crnom opalu. Pronađen je u Egiptu 1899., dvije godine prije nego što je Jack Murray potopio prvu rupu u Nobbyju 1901., u Jundahu, Queensland i kasnije u White Cliffsu. Ali Lightning Ridge opal bio je drugačiji i upravo ga je ta razlika učinila poznatim. Do tog vremena svijet nikada nije vidio tako nevjerojatne šare u opalu na tako lijepoj crnoj poleđini. Opskrba crnim opalom iz Lightning Ridgea dramatično je promijenila način na koji su trgovci dragim kamenjem procjenjivali opale, postavljajući neviđeni zaštitni znak za dragulj. Crni opal je najrjeđi i najvrjedniji od svih opala i općenito se nalazi kao šipka raznih boja u tamnom tijelu. Osim toga, postoji i polucrni i crni kristal. Lightning Ridge u Novom Južnom Walesu svjetski je dom crnog opala i naširoko se smatra da proizvodi najbolji crni opal na svijetu.

Australsko rudarenje crnog opala

Crni opal sve je teže pronaći. Ne samo da su cijene goriva i naknade za zakup učinile iskopavanje opala vrlo skupim, nego je nestašica crnog opala sada stvarnost. Ovaj trend se pojavljuje godinama, a sada je rijetkost pronaći kvalitetan crveni vatreno crni opal. Većina opala koji se vadi u Lightning Ridgeu sada je slojni opal, koji se formira u trakama sličnim opalima iz Coober Pedyja. Crni opali koji su se formirali kao grumeni sada se rijetko mogu pronaći. Čak je i baza boja crnih opala drugačija nego prije mnogo godina; prirodna baza sada je više sivo crne boje, a ne tamno crne kao što je bila prije. Rudari pronalaze mnogo više polucrnog opala. Vodiči za boju crnog opala mogu se koristiti za ocjenjivanje tamnosti crnog opala. N5 je najtamniji, a Hi najsvjetliji.

Black Opal Investment

Crni opal uvijek je bio najbolji izbor informiranih kupaca pri odabiru dragog kamenja za ulaganje. Imaju jaku crvenu vatru i tamnocrnu podlogu i smatraju se iznimno rijetkima, a kao investicija općenito će poskupjeti za najmanje 20% godišnje.

Mnogi crni opali prodani na Opal Auctions porasli su u vrijednosti između 20 i 30% godišnje, a neki crni opali procijenjeni na 1000 USD po karatu sada su porasli na 3000 USD po karatu. Ulagači u crni opal uvijek bi trebali tražiti vrhunske opale koji imaju crnu bazu.

Ostali čimbenici uključuju-

Cabochon oblik (kupolasti vrhovi idealni su za nakit)
Jedinstvenost uzorka i boje. Crvena je najvrjednija, ali neki uzorci narančaste i zelene vatrene vrpce također mogu biti izvrsna ulaganja.

Crni opali su oduvijek bili omiljena vrsta opala za ozbiljne kolekcionare, ali i kameni opal je također postao sve popularniji. Japansko tržište preferira kabohone od crnog opala i pomoglo je umjerenom stalnom povećanju vrijednosti ove vrste opala. Jedan od naših najskupljih australskih crnih opala ikada prodanih na Opal Auctions je crni opal od 37,30 karata koji prodaje Rollingstone Opals za 37.500 dolara. To je dragulj vatreni crni opal s nijansom tijela N1 i svjetlinom ocijenjenom 5 od 5.

Australski crni opal Dostupnost

Postoji nekoliko spektakularnih kolekcija opala u Australiji, ali nijedna ne uključuje veliku kolekciju crnog opala jer su tako rijetki. Ovaj se trend ponavlja u inozemstvu, gdje se velike kolekcije opala mogu naći u nekoliko zemalja, uključujući SAD, Hong Kong i Njemačku, ali velika zbirka crnog opala doista je vrlo rijetka.

Tržišni trendovi crnog opala

Sa sve većim troškovima iskopavanja opala uglavnom potaknutim cijenama nafte i sve manjom dostupnošću, industrija iskopavanja opala nalazi se pod sve većim pritiskom.

U Lightning Ridgeu svi "laki" rudnici već su iscrpljeni, a rudari se suočavaju s vrlo teškim i opasnim uvjetima rudarenja za vađenje opala u opasnijim rudnicima. Crni opal niskog stupnja postojan je i dostupan tako da su na snazi uobičajeni zakoni ponude i potražnje.

Opalholičari - sada je vrijeme za kupnju investicijskog opala jer je ponuda visokokvalitetnog crnog opala sve manja, a rudarska zajednica Lightning Ridgea u cjelini ne nalazi mnogo opala, što može značiti samo jedno za cijene.

Kako se Black Opal ocjenjuje i prodaje

Kako biste postavili ovaj crni opal? Kao prsten ili privjesak? Da je privjesak, na koju stranu biste okrenuli ovaj opalni ABCD? Za opale je potrebno puno više odluka nego za bilo koji drugi dragi kamen jer je svaki tako jedinstven i poseban.

Parcele crnog grubog opala sortirane su u tri stupnja: gornji, srednji i niski. Svaki gornji paket ima kraljevski kamen, koji je najbolji kamen u paketu. Neke parcele imaju nekoliko kraljevih kamenova. Boja je primarni kriterij za ocjenjivanje, ali ocjenjivači također uzimaju u obzir broj nesavršenosti i grešaka te je li kamen pravi oblik za rezanje u oval ili neki od drugih popularnih oblika. Grubi opal možete kupiti u nekoliko različitih uvjeta.

Mine Run. Izravno iz rudnika opala. Kamenje nije rezano niti brušeno. To znači da ima više nagađanja u rezanju.

Kupnja mine run opala može biti riskantna ako nemate puno iskustva.

Off - Rezovi. Rudar je uklonio sav opal za koji ima tržište i prodaje vam ono što je ostalo. Kod kratkih krojeva obično možete znati što ćete moći odrezati. I dalje morate paziti na pukotine u opalu jer kad pukotina postane očita, kamen može izgubiti pola svoje vrijednosti.

Trlja se. Ovo često može biti najbolji način kupnje sirovina ako nemate puno iskustva. Rudar je izrezao i brusio kamenje u osnovne oblike, nakon što je uklonio većinu smeća. Ono što vam je ostalo je kamen koji je gotovo spreman za proces dopinga i poliranja. Imate zadovoljstvo rezati vlastito kamenje bez visokog rizika kupnje rudnika. Opal se službeno prodaje u troy oz. Postoji otprilike 30 grama u troy oz i otprilike 30 unca u kilogramu.

Crni opal izvađen iz Lightning Ridgea uvijek je bio na dobrom glasu za plave opale na crnom. Ovi su opali 1980-ih bili uobičajeni u opalnim poljima Cochran u Lightning Ridgeu i to su bili Nobby opali, a ne šavni opal, odnosno opal je prirodno formiran u stijeni s crnim mjehurićima na vrhu i dnu.

Šavni opal ima svjetliju crnu poleđinu i ponekad sa sivom ili pješčanom bojom na vrhu. Crni opal nobbies najbolji su opal za ulaganje jer je od 1990-ih proizvodnja crnih nobbiesa dramatično smanjena i danas se može naći samo šavni opal. Sve manje viđamo crne opale s plavim vatrenim bojama

Neki plavi opal iz Lightning Ridgea ima čarobnu električno plavu vatru i bljesak, a neki najbolji prirodni uzorci opala su u plavoj boji, od širokog bljeska do blok uzorka i vrlo su atraktivni u prstenu od bijelog zlata.

Black Opal Pairs

Black Opal Parcels

Black Opal Carvings

Danas je nakit od bijelog zlata vrlo popularan i neki kristalni opali ne pristaju uz nakit od bijelog zlata, ali crni opali plave boje su zadivljujući, čak i ukrašeni dijamantima izgledaju tako privlačno oku, posebno plave nijanse u crnom opalu. Crni opal je promovirao crveni vatreni opal kao najbolji opal za ulaganje.

Ocjena boja crnih opala je sljedeća u odnosu na cijenu po karatu

Crvena
naranča
zelena
Plava

Međutim, plavi opal bio je podcijenjen kao investicijski opal, a vrijednost crnog opala s crvenom vatrom porasla je za 50% godišnje tijekom posljednjih 10 godina. Crni opal s kabošonom i dobrim bljeskom udvostručio je tu brojku kako bi postao najbolja boja za ulaganje ako ste kupili plavi vatreni opal prije 10 godina

Također, kada kupujete opal preko interneta, uvijek pitajte prodavača je li opal svijetao kao slika, pa je dobra ideja tražiti sliku ruke koja drži opal jer se slika ne može poboljšati jer boja kože izgleda drugačije, sivkasto ili ružičasto znači slika je poboljšana

Opal se također ocjenjuje prema svjetlini. Tjelesni ton, koji je opal vidljiv, također se mjeri od N 1 kao najcrnji do N9 kao najsvjetliji opal. Također provjerite s prodavačem je li dno opala čisto, to je potpuno prirodna mrlja, crna je preferirana u odnosu na sivu ili je li mrlja/pijesak vidljiv na dnu.

Na kraju, što je opal više cabochon, to je i vrjedniji, tako da su ravni opali općenito jeftiniji od dobro zaobljenih opala. Opali koji su cabochon Jed bolje reflektiraju svjetlost, a rolling flash uzorak je vrlo popularan jer pokazuje boju iz svih kutova

Uživajte u vlastitom crnom opalu!

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