Custom Made Opal Jewelry

The value of Custom Opal Jewelry is difficult to assess, largely because many crucial factors affect the final sale price.

First, the opal’s characteristics play a role in determining the jewelry’s worth, including the opal's gemstone type, body tone, clarity, pattern, colour bar thickness, colour play, and flaws. Then the jewelry structure is meticulously examined and assigned a price per carat when evaluated, including the quality of the cut, polish and size of the gemstone.

Generally, opal gemstones with a black or dark body tone showcase a more vibrant play-of-colour, which is considered more valuable than opals with a white, light, or crystal body tone. As the most valuable form of opal, Black Opal may cost over $10,000 AUD per carat.

The clarity of an opal’s colour is critical when assessing the value of Custom Opal Jewelry. Red fire is the rarest colour, followed by green/orange, green/blue and blue. Therefore, a Red Fire Opal is generally more valuable than a predominantly green opal, which is more valuable than a stone showing only blue colour.

However, the brilliance and clarity of an opal’s proportioned pattern is the main decision-maker. A brilliant blue/green can be more valuable than a dull red; bright twinkling stars of a ‘pin fire’ pattern can be more valuable than a cloudy ‘open’ or ‘mixed’ pattern of similar colouration; or a brilliant, lustrous light opal can sell more than a lack-lustre Black Opal.

The industry term for Custom Opal Jewelry is “bespoke”, which is an exciting and refreshing process that will give you a piece of jewelry that is “yours”, something that you have actually had a part in creating. Bespoke Jewelry is extremely meaningful and makes your jewelry that more precious and sentimental. See more Tips for getting your Jewelry design “just right.”

There are two basic types of opal, precious opal and common opal. Precious opal displays a spectrum of colours, whereas common opal does not. The most precious opal to date has been mined in Australia as this is where the colours and patterns found are the most intense.

Some common types of Custom Precious Opals we sell at Opal Cutters:

Pinfire Opal – also known as "Pinpoint" Opal – is opal with pinpoints of colour throughout the stone.

Boulder Opal – is formed in cavities and cracks of ironstone, usually from Queensland, Australia

Black Opal or Dark Opal – are naturally occurring, rare and valuable solid opal formed in Iron oxide found in Lightning Ridge in Northern NSW. This opal has a dark body-tone colour, often black or dark grey.

Harlequin Opal – has patches of colour in the shape of rectangles or diamonds.

Cat's-Eye Opal – a rare, phenomenal opal from Madagascar, which displays chatoyancy, the optical effect that produces a thin line of bright light across the surface of a stone. The line, or the "cat’s eye", tracks back and forth across the dome of the stone as the stone and light source moves.

There are two basic types of opal, precious opal and common opal. Common opal does not exhibit play-of-colour, instead, it is usually opaque to translucent and brownish-orange in colour.

Common opals got their name because they are found in many locations throughout the world. Most common opal specimens are also "common" in appearance and do not attract much commercial attention compared to precious opals.

Despite the underwhelming name, common opals are still attractive and have beautiful colour, perfect for jewelry.

Some popular types of Custom Common Opals we sell at Opal Cutters:

Pink Opal – also occurs in shades of pink, common opal mined in Peru. The range in colour is from nearly white, through carnation pink, through lilac.

Morado Opal – has a purple body colour produced in Mexico.
Blue Opal – is a Solid Black Opal with the common blue covering the entire stone. Sometimes called "blue opal" or "blue on black".

Black Crystal Opal – is a Solid Black Opal, which is transparent due to little or no iron oxide on the back. Viewed from the top, it compares at least with N3 in darkness rating.

Crystal Opal – is a transparent/translucent opal. Sometimes mistaken for "Light opal" found in Coober Pedy in South Australia.

As we make every item by hand from solid gold, we can make this item fit your exact specifications. If you do not like your item when it is completed, we will re-make the item so you are completely satisfied.

Our company policy is ‘we do not rest until you are happy’ we will even make it again if we need to. Plus, each and every item will receive a certificate of value with an international guarantee and warranty that will protect your purchase for life.

Our jewellers have been working with Opals for over 60 years. We know how to set the gems without damaging them and complete designs so that your jewelry will be safe to wear for many years to come.

When it comes to Opals, we are the experts! Our guarantee is, “Once your design has been carefully manufactured, gem/s are set and polished to perfection, we will insure your design under our own international shipping policy and provide this one simple guarantee if you are not happy, send it back, and we will re-make your design.” We will not rest until you are happy!

Remember, you can book the CAD email service, so you will see exactly what your design will look like before manufacturing.