Every stone on this site is sold loose, which means unset: the gem on its own, with no ring, no pendant and no mount. With opal that matters more than with any other gem, and it is worth explaining why rather than assuming you already know.

The stone

2.45 carats, which is 2.69 ratti. Shape: drop — recorded for this individual stone. Origin: Australia. Rs. 12,250, about Rs. 5,000 per carat, reference GS-000700.

Why buying opal loose matters more

• You can check the side profile. This is the big one. A doublet is a thin slice of opal glued to a dark backing and a triplet adds a clear cap, and both reveal themselves as a straight glue line when you look at the stone edge-on. Once it is set in a bezel, that edge is hidden. Buying loose means you can look.
• You see the whole dome. Dead ground, sand pockets and flat spots have nowhere to hide under metal.
• The two prices stay separate. You know what the gem cost and what the metalwork cost, instead of one combined figure.
• You control the setting. Opal needs a bezel and a low profile. Buying loose means you specify that rather than inherit whatever a stock mount does.

A drop shape, and what it is for

A drop has a natural top, so it hangs. That makes it a pendant stone first — a bail at the narrow end, the broad end swinging into the light as you move, which suits a gem whose whole appeal is movement. In a ring it has to be set along or across the finger with the point protected, which is harder work on a soft stone. For earrings it needs a matched partner, and matching opal for colour and pattern is genuinely difficult.

What to do when it arrives

Look at it edge-on first, for the glue line. Then hold it at arm's length in daylight and tilt it slowly through a wide arc — good opal keeps producing colour, weaker material flashes once. You pay the rider only after the parcel is open, and the seven-day return window runs from delivery, so there is time to take it to a jeweller for a second opinion.

Measurements

Length and width have not been recorded for this piece. On a drop they matter more than on most shapes, because the bail and outline have to work together, so ask us on WhatsApp at +92 308 887 3888 and we will measure it before your jeweller starts.

Treatment

Solid opal is usually untreated, though some is smoke- or sugar-treated to darken the background. This stone has not been tested and the specification says so rather than claiming it is untreated. Independent laboratory testing can be arranged and a certificate of authenticity comes on request. More on our authenticity page and in the real versus fake opal guide.

Care

Opal is 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale and holds water. Soft damp cloth only, never ultrasonic or steam, and keep it out of prolonged sun and dry heat.

Delivery

Flat Rs. 500 by insured, tracked courier to every city in Pakistan, dispatched in one to two working days. Cash on Delivery, seven days to return it unused.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural australian opal with a weight of 2.45 Carat. Its price is Rs. 12,250 — roughly Rs. 5,000 for each carat. Origin: Australia. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000700 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.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

Whoever you buy australian 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 australian 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.