Natural Opal in Pakistan

How play-of-colour works

Precious opal is made of tiny silica spheres stacked in neat rows with water held between them. Light passing through this structure splits into spectral colours, which shift as you move the stone. The size of the spheres decides which colours appear: smaller ones give blues and greens, larger ones allow oranges and reds too.

Types you will find

• Ethiopian (Welo) opal - often a white to clear body with bright, vivid fire, offering strong colour at fair prices.
• Australian opal - the historic benchmark, from white opal to rarer dark and black opal, where the dark body makes colours look especially intense.
• Crystal opal - a transparent to semi-transparent body that lets colour glow from deep inside.
• Fire opal - a yellow, orange or red body colour, with or without play-of-colour.

Five things that set an opal's price

1. Brightness of the play-of-colour, the most important factor.
2. Colours present - red and orange flashes are rarer than blue and green.
3. Pattern - broad flashes and attractive patterns command more than pinpoint speckles.
4. Body tone - darker bodies usually raise the value.
5. Size, shape and soundness - larger, well-domed stones without cracks or crazing cost more.

Each listing's per-carat rate is its price divided by carat weight.

Natural opal, synthetics and doublets

Lab-created opal often shows a regular, "lizard-skin" or columnar pattern that looks too orderly. Opalite glass glows milky blue without real play-of-colour. Doublets and triplets are thin slices of opal glued to a backing and sometimes topped with clear quartz; look at the side of the stone for a join line. A certificate of authenticity is available on request, and independent lab testing can be arranged.

Opal in tradition

Opal is an October birthstone. In South Asian astrology it is linked with Venus (Shukra) and traditionally worn for creativity and harmony in relationships, sometimes as an alternative to diamond. These are beliefs rather than guaranteed effects; consult an astrologer if this guides your choice.

Looking after opal

Opal is fairly soft (about 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale) and contains water, so avoid heat, sudden temperature changes and knocks. Many Ethiopian opals are hydrophane, which means they can absorb water and turn temporarily cloudy, so do not soak them; wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth instead. Never use ultrasonic cleaners.

Buying opal from GemStore

We inspect every opal and photograph it to show its play-of-colour fairly. Orders reach every city in Pakistan by insured, tracked courier, and Cash on Delivery lets you open the parcel and check the stone before paying. You have 7 days from delivery to return an unused stone under our return policy.