Who is this black fire opal for? Someone who enjoys a stone that changes character as the light moves, and who does not mind giving a softer gem a little thought before wearing it every day. It is listed at Rs. 12,750 under reference GS-000733.

What you are looking at

Opal is prized for play-of-colour, the flashes that slide across the surface when you tilt it. Dark-bodied "black" opal tends to make those flashes look brighter, because there is less pale body colour to dilute them. Message us on WhatsApp and we will send fresh photographs in daylight and under a lamp.

Opal sits at 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. That is fine for a pendant or earrings, and workable in a ring if it is worn with care and taken off for housework.

Ask before you buy

Opal treatment is worth a question: smoking and sugar-staining are used to darken some stones, and layered doublets or triplets are sometimes passed off as solid. We sell solid natural opal only, and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone. Independent lab testing can be arranged on request. Browse more in our opal collection, and remember that you may open the parcel and inspect the stone before paying on delivery.

Order with Cash on Delivery anywhere in Pakistan: open the parcel, check the stone, then pay. If it is not right for you, you have 7 days to return it. Before you choose, read our opal guide.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural opal. Its price is Rs. 12,750. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000733 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

On the Mohs scale opal rates 5.5 to 6.5. That is middle-of-the-road hardness: comfortable in pendants and earrings, and in rings worn with some care. Store it apart from harder stones so it does not pick up scratches, and wipe it with a damp cloth rather than scrubbing.

Whoever you buy opal from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every opal for those three points before it is listed, a certificate is available on request, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. Certificate available on request. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Solid opal is usually untreated; some opal is smoke- or sugar-treated, and doublets/triplets exist — we sell solid natural opal. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.