Unread postby Rockranger » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:38 am
I have a really important question to ask on authentication of an opal??
I recently purchased some rough opal from mexico and happened to get a decent carat wieght of a honeycomb pattern? snakeskin? somewhere along that line in one of them.
If i was to remove the natural rough off the opal would that add confusion on where the opal came from? I thought just maybe and good chances there's going to be someone who is going to try and call it a dyed or smoked welo.
Why??? because mexican opal can and is a brown to redish orange base.Sooo what would be my best option because I think that's going to be a big determination in price adding if it's mexican because of rarity
Thanks RR
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby SwordfishMining » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:47 am
Having to go for the price difference when cutting, then I would just document it being cut well as photos are cheap now days to prove the local provenance to those who refuse to buy it for proof they are wrong with destructive testing. Some fool will open his mouth someday after forming an opinion from a picture.
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby Rockranger » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:55 am
SwordfishMining wrote:
Some fool will open his mouth someday after forming an opinion from a picture.
Thats another reason why I was thinkin of not putting it in the contest
in case it caused controversy 
Thanks for the input John.
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby crazy8s » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:08 am
Oh Geez RR If you're talking about this contest you are being silly
If someone here doubted your stone we can just laugh them off the board. As far as controversey we have managed to weather quite a few. 
I wan't to see this opal. Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby PinkDiamond » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:51 am
I don't understand why it would cause controversy, no matter where it's from. Cut that puppy for the contest!
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby Rockranger » Thu Feb 07, 2013 1:31 am
I'm sorry gals. I was meaning from a retail point of view. I understand sometimes with some people who tend to pop in showing a stone and asking what is it? Most times we ask to see the unpolished or backside to check for natural characteristics to help in its ID. I also notice how much welo is treated now days to fool most of the people out there. This I think could play a big part in it. Would you believe me if you didnt know me?
So again I ask you,
if I was to remove any tell tale sign that its from mexico, is this going to hamper price due to authentication?Or....would pics as John suggested help?
This is what happens when you start to change a opals oringinality or natural characteristics like Welo does often, hurts more then it helps.
Thanks for your replies.
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby PinkDiamond » Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:41 am
If you want eternal authentication to be available, it can never be cut. Photographic documentation from start to finish is the only way to cut it, and still have proof of what it was. If a prospective buyer doesn't believe your photo-documentation, would you really want them to own it?
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby Gecko109 » Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:44 am
I would have no doubts about your claims RR if I was buying from you. But if you were just some random seller on ebay or here, there could be some doubts as to the stone's origin. If its gonna look just like a smoked welo after its cut, its going to be very hard to get a premium price for it from the masses. Like I said, I wouldnt challenge your claim if I were buying, but then how much liquidity would I lose if/when I went to sell it?
Is there any way to preserve some of the telltale matrix and still cut a settable stone?
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby Rockranger » Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:44 am
Thanks again Gecko and Pink.
I'm just going to take a couple pics of it's natural back and cut it. I know what it is and thats good enough for me. But man......is it ever a good duplicate of a color treated welo
It does have one thing welo doesnt? It dont absorb water and change colors Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby Rockranger » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:39 am
Ok...I took a pic its not the best because there is still potch over top of the pattern that you can see in the pic. After I remove it down to the POC it should show you some better results. You can just sort of make out the colored patterns or cells on the pic. I was holding off on entering it because it lacks the intensity of brightness.
Got a couple others I was thinkn of. One is the stuff from the venus field in Coober pedy. I dont know yet
Re: Opal Authentication
Unread postby gingerkid » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:46 am
Hi, RR! It looks like Mexican opal to me. Maybe you could contact Dave Gibson and ask since he is at the mining sites frequently.He is a forum member, but has not been on the forum in a while. Here's Dave's website with lots of excellent information on it from Mexican Opals to fire agates.
http://www.mexicanamber.org.uk/mexicanopal.php
Have you shown it to caribbeanopals?