Opal Popularity Worldwide in 2017

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Australia has always been reported as producing 95% to 97% of the worlds opals. But our statistics are now showing a different pattern. Opal Auctions is worlds largest specialist Opal website that has sold over 330,000 Opals to 184 countries since it started in 2004.

To work out percentages, we have calculated on sales only for the last 12 months of just under 40,000 opals sold.

Australian Opal sales on Opal Auctions in last 12 months are 61%
International Opal sales on Opal Auctions in last 12 months are 39%

All Opal producing countries have different problems that have affected production over the last 5 years.

Worldwide Trends For Opals

Opals are loved by so many different nationalities as opals are a unique gemstone and patterns do develop in many countries for a certain type of opal. Google Trends is a good source for information in terms of search volumes for traffic of opals. In the last 12 months USA searches for Opal are down around 20% but countries like France, Belgium, and Australia are up. Searches from china are down 79% (based on Baidu search results), so many complicated reasons for this country.

AUSTRALIA OPALS

Opal production is down on most opal fields in Australia. The Government policies and land rights claim by local indigenous people have greatly held up exploration. Many mining leases are held up by court applications, especially in boulder opal fields in Queensland. Lighting Ridge, the home of the black opal has had many problems from farmers rights to the mining departments strict regulations and limiting new leases. On top of these problems miners must comply with so many new regulations that didn’t exist several years ago. These range from electrical specifications to strict compliance on land lease ownership . Opal mining is now complicated and lot more expensive than in past. Opal miners insist on cash policy so no accurate records are available on production, and the industry is full of rumours and exaggerated stories of production that no one can verify.

Red fire on black opal with a body tone of N1 is very strong on the field with many cash buyers circling miners waiting for these top gem opals. Top gem prices have risen consistently for last 10 years and production is down considerably but hard to get exact figures in this cash industry. This year one opal field in Queensland hit a pocket of fossil wood opals and was extremely popular adding 5.5% to boulder opal sales. Boulder Opal sales are made up of many different types of boulder Opal from different regions so we have created another chart wth the breakdown.

Trends shows a 79% decrease in searches in China for opals, and Chinese buyers preference was for black opals. Black opal sales dipped to 29% of Australian opal sales on Opal Auctions this year, as many Australian and USA sales were Chinese buyers sending black opals to China.
In the last quarter boulder opal sales have exploded to outsell black opals in volume and dollar values to 35% of Australian sales on Opal Auctions.
It is obvious many buyers had price reluctance to increase in Black Opal prices so better-quality boulder opals in the $300 to $800 price points greatly out sell Black Opal.
European buyers prefer better quality boulder opal than just a year ago and full faced boulder opal is in high demand.
Black opal sales are still strongest in $3,000 to $10,000 price sales
Opal jewelry sales were 10% and include silver and gold opal jewelry
Crystal and south Australian opals were 8% of Australian sales and steady
Opal doublets were over 5% sales and strong demand for top quality doublets
Opal triplets were 1.3% as not many manufactures cut now due to increase in rough opal prices

ETHIOPIAN OPALS

Production of Ethiopian opals has been a roller coaster ride the last few years. In 2013 the Ethiopian Ministry mines banned the export of rough opals and prices sky rocketed. This policy only lasted a few months before the ministry realized it was a mistake.

But in 2016 the Ministry implemented a new policy that you need to register to buy opals and for every kilo of rough opal you need to buy the same value of cut polished stones. This also was bad move as many Indian buyers stopped buying and marketing Ethiopian opals. But there are not many, if any? Opal cutters in Ethiopia so it is very impractical to police this. Today most opal rough is bought out through Kenya and carried by hand to world destinations so no accurate figures are available on production quantity. Demand is strong for top pattern Ethiopian opal.

Ethiopian opal is staggering 94% of International Opal sales with over 16,000 opals sold and 17% these sales were rough or specimen Ethiopian opals.
Many jewellers worldwide have been introduced to opal with these Ethiopian opals and crazed opal is not as big problem as it used to be.
Buyers love or hate this opal, as many buyers have fantastic experience and others do not do as well.
It is now considered and entry point to opals as most crystals are inexpensive but buyer seek those special one with magical patterns that you only see in this opal.
Ethiopian is considered lowest entry price for opals but magical cabochon opals with strong patterns sell for $3,00 to $5,000 and there is strong following looking for a unique pattern Ethiopian opal

MEXICO OPALS

Mexican opal is Mexico’s national gemstone and are the third largest producers after Ethiopia and Australia. Faceted Mexican fire opal has a strong following as a gemstone. Buyers like clean faceted gemstones and Australian opal do not readily facet like Mexican opal. Production has been stable for many years with no new opal fields found. Mexican Opal accounts for 3% of international sales.

BRAZIL OPALS

Brazil has never been a high volume producer of opal but has a reputation of good stable veined crystal opals. Opal is found in seams in sandstone or alluvial and suits small scale mining. The government has tried small scale opal mining clusters, but with limited results Brazil Opal accounts for 1.65% of international sales

INDONESIA OPALS

Indonesia does have volcanic opal but most opal sold in this country is Ethiopian opal. Exact production figures are not reliable. Baten does have unique petrified wood with is deep black bitumen colour with veined or flashes opal colours. Opal mining is small scale. 1.2% international sales

PERU OPALS

Mining of this silica quartz style opal is limited to the Andes mountains regions as pink or blue Peruvian opal. Limited demand and production. Less 1% international sales

AMERICAN OPAL

Small production, as this country has never been opal producing in any quantity. Small operations, Virgin Vallery, Idaho, Utah. Less1% international sales

HONDURAN OPAL

Small scale mining operation with limited production. Less 1% international sales

SLOVAKIA OPALS

World’s Oldest opal mines but limited production Tanzania, Madagascar. Less 1% international sales

SHOP FOR OPALS

Black Opal

Mexican Fire Opal

Brazilian Opal

Ethiopian Opal

Australija je uvijek bila prijavljena kao proizvodnja 95% do 97% svjetskih opala. Ali naša statistika sada pokazuje drugačiji obrazac. Opal aukcije su najveća stručna svjetska Opal web stranica koja je prodala preko 330.000 Opala u 184 zemlje otkako je započela 2004. godine.

Da bismo odredili postotke, izračunali smo samo za prodaju u proteklih 12 mjeseci od samo nešto manje od 40.000 prodanih opala.

Prodaja australskih Opala na Opal aukcijama u posljednjih 12 mjeseci iznosi 61%
Međunarodna prodaja Opala na Opal aukcijama u posljednjih 12 mjeseci iznosi 39%

Sve države koje proizvode opale imaju različite probleme koji su utjecali na proizvodnju tijekom posljednjih 5 godina.

Svjetski trendovi za opale

Opale vole toliko različitih nacionalnosti, budući da su opali jedinstveni dragi kamen i obrasci se razvijaju u mnogim zemljama za određenu vrstu opala. Google Trends dobar je izvor informacija o količinama pretraživanja za promet opala. U posljednjih 12 mjeseci SAD traži Opal za oko 20%, ali zemlje poput Francuske, Belgije i Australije su gore. Pretraživanja iz Kine padaju za 79% (na temelju Baidu rezultata pretraživanja), toliko složenih razloga za ovu zemlju.

AUSTRALIA OPALS

Opalna proizvodnja je padala na većini opalnih polja u Australiji. Vladina politika i prava na zemljišna prava od strane domaćih autohtonih ljudi uvelike su poduprli istraživanje. Mnogi rudarski najmovi su podignuti sudskim zahtjevima, osobito u gromada opalnih polja u Queenslandu. Rasvjeta Ridge, dom crnog opala je imao mnoge probleme od prava poljoprivrednika na rudarske odjele stroge propise i ograničavanje novih zakup. Povrh ovih problema, rudari se moraju pridržavati toliko novih propisa koji nisu postojali prije nekoliko godina. Oni se kreću od električnih specifikacija do strogih pridržavanja vlasništva nad zemljištem. Opal mining je sada kompliciran i puno skuplji nego u prošlosti. Opalni rudari inzistiraju na politici gotovine, tako da nema dostupnih zapisa o proizvodnji, a industrija je puna glasina i pretjeranih priča o proizvodnji koje nitko ne može potvrditi.

Crvena vatra na crnom opalu s tjelesnim tonom N1 vrlo je snažna na terenu s mnogo novčanih kupaca koji kruže rudare koji čekaju ove gornje gems opale. Najveće cijene dragulja dosljedno su porasle posljednjih 10 godina, a proizvodnja je znatno smanjena, ali je teško dobiti točne brojke u ovoj gotovini. Ove godine jedan opalni polje u Queenslandu pogodio je džep fosilnih drvenih opala i bio je iznimno popularan, dodavši 5,5% da bi opala prodaja. Boulder Opal prodaja sastoji se od mnogo različitih vrsta gromada Opala iz različitih regija pa smo stvorili još jedan grafikon s kvarom.

Trendovi pokazuju 79% smanjenje pretraživanja u Kini za opale, a kineski kupci preferiraju za crne opale. Crna opala prodaja ove je godine pala na 29% australske opalne prodaje na Opalovim aukcijama, budući da su mnoge prodaje u Australiji i SAD-u kineski kupci koji su poslali crne opale u Kinu.
U posljednjem tromjesečju prodaja opala od bouldera eksplodirala je kako bi prodali crne opale volumena i dolarskih vrijednosti na 35% australske prodaje na Opal aukcijama.
Očigledno je da su mnogi kupci imali nedostatak cijena za povećanje cijena crnih opala, tako da su opali od bijelih gromobrana u dobnim cijenama od 300 do 800 dolara uvelike prodali Black Opal.
Europski kupci vole bolju opalu od gipsa nego prije samo godinu dana, a opal s masivnim gromobranom je u velikoj potražnji.
Crna prodaja opala još je uvijek najjača u prodaji cijena od 3000 do 10.000 dolara
Opal nakit prodaja je 10% i uključuju srebro i zlatni opal nakit
Kristalni i južni australski opali bili su 8% australske prodaje i stabilni
Opalni dubleti bili su više od 5% prodaje i snažna potražnja za vrhunskim dubletima
Opal tripleti su bili 1,3%, kao i mnogi proizvođači koji su sada smanjeni zbog povećanja grubih opalnih cijena

ETIOPANSKI OPALS

Proizvodnja etiopskih opala je vožnja roller coaster posljednjih nekoliko godina. U 2013. godini etiopski ministar rudnika zabranio je izvoz grube opale i cijene koje su nebo prolazile. Ta je politika trajala nekoliko mjeseci prije nego što je ministarstvo shvatilo da je to pogreška.

No, u 2016. godini Ministarstvo je provodilo novu politiku koju trebate registrirati za kupnju opala, a za svaki kilogram grubog opala morate kupiti istu vrijednost izrezbarenog kamenja. To je također bio loš potez jer su mnogi indijski kupci prestali kupovati i marketingirati etiopijske opale. Ali nema mnogo, ako ih ima? Opalna rezači u Etiopiji pa je vrlo nepraktično policijski. Danas je većina opalnih grubo nabavljena kroz Keniju i nosila se rukama svjetskim odredištima tako da na proizvodnoj veličini nisu dostupne točne brojke. Potražnja je snažna za najbolji obrazac etiopskih opala.

Etiopski opal je nevjerojatan 94% prodaje Internationala Opala s više od 16.000 prodanih opala i 17% ove prodaje su grubi ili primjerci Etiopski opali.
Mnogi zlatari iz cijelog svijeta uvedeni su u opalu s tim etiopskim opalima, a oprašeni opal nije tako veliki problem kakav je nekad bio.
Kupci vole ili mrze ovaj opal, jer mnogi kupci imaju fantastično iskustvo, a drugi ne rade isto.
Sada se smatra i ulazna točka za opale jer je većina kristala jeftina, ali kupac traži one posebne s čarobnim uzorcima koje vidite samo u ovom opalu.
Etiopski se smatra najnižom ulaznom cijenom za opale, ali čarobni cabochon opali s jakim uzorcima prodaju za 3,00 do 5,000 dolara, a postoji i jaka potraga za jedinstvenim uzorkom etiopskih opala

MEKSIKO OPALS

Meksički opal Meksiko je nacionalni dragi kamen i treći je po veličini proizvođač nakon Etiopije i Australije. Ogroman meksički požar opal ima snažnu ulogu kao dragi kamen. Kupci poput čistih gemstones i australski opal ne lako facet kao meksički opal. Proizvodnja je stabilna dugi niz godina bez pronađenih novih opalnih polja. Meksički Opal čini 3% međunarodne prodaje.

BRAZIL OPALS

Brazil nikad nije bio veliki proizvođač opala ali ima ugled dobrih stabilnih kristalnih opala. Opal se nalazi u šavovima u pješčenjaku ili aluvijalnom i odgovara rudarstvu malih razmjera. Vlada je iskušavala klastere opalnog rudnika malih razmjera, ali s ograničenim rezultatima Brazil Opal čini 1,65% međunarodne prodaje

INDONESIA OPALS

Indonezija ima vulkanski opal, ali je najveći opal prodan u ovoj zemlji Etiopski opal. Točni podaci o proizvodnji nisu pouzdani. Baten ima jedinstveno ogoljeno drvo s dubokom crnom bitumenskom bojom s venskim ili bljeskovima opalnih boja. Opalno rudarstvo je mala skala. 1,2% međunarodne prodaje

PERU OPALS

Rudarstvo ovog silikonskog kvarcnog stila opala ograničeno je na planinske krajeve Anda kao ružičasti ili plavi peruanski opal. Ograničena potražnja i proizvodnja. Manje od 1% međunarodne prodaje

AMERIČKI OPAL

Male proizvodnje, budući da ova zemlja nikad nije proizvodila opalu u bilo kojoj količini. Male operacije, Virgin Vallery, Idaho, Utah. Manje1% međunarodne prodaje