News

  • Q&A regarding doublet, vs Inalid doublet, vs black opal, etc..

    Q&A regarding doublet, vs Inalid doublet, vs black opal, etc..

    Below is a conversation we had via email with a client about the origins, nature, manufacturing and classing specifics that are relevant to most of our pieces. Their excellent, comprehensive questions deserved thorough answers. Please see below for some FAQ & A about some of our products and processes....

     

    Q:    So, I do have a few more questions sorry. I was doing some more research because I am trying to understand the price differences between the pieces and to make sure I understand what I am getting. To be honest, I was a little disappointed to read that a "doublet" is actually just a thin slice of opal adhered to a black backing to give the appearance of a solid vibrant black opal. So just to clarify, are the opals you use, white or black? And are the pieces that are referred to as "inlaid doublet" more valuable / higher quality than the ones that are just called "doublets"? I’m I thinking they are because then one can't really tell they are doublets, but I want to confirm :). And lastly, what drives the difference in the price per carat of opal that you list in the ad? I've seen them range from $350-$500-$900 (per carat up at the top you usually put this)?

    A:  We use Coober Pedy opal that we mostly mine ourselves, the opal for the most part starts out as either ‘light based, white based or crystal opal and occasionally dark or ‘semi black’ opal rough.

    Often we use crystal ‘shell skins’ as this is one of the most common forms of opal that I have found for years mining in Coober Pedy because they are something I can hunt for that has been missed (less obvious to previous miners) and they often have the most stunning colour of all, an example is E17, 

    'Drill set' doublet with 14k gold bail.

    this was made from a dark crystal opalised shell skin (ancient opal replaced Cretaceous sea shell fossil) we mined on the Old 15 Mile, it is a bit too thin to make a solid opal from so we clean it right up to make a doublet. The result is as you say, giving the appearance of a stunning natural black opal, the thing is with doublets they are typically accepted in the opal industry as being valued at about 10% of what a natural solid black opal would be valued at, so say E17 was a natural black at 5 carats or would be around $1000 - $2000 per carat or more (sorry I’m not an expert in black opal valuation) but safe to say it would be 5k upwards.

    Also, when we value ‘per carat’ we are only referring to the estimated weight of the light, or crystal etc opal layer, not the whole piece with the backing, Whereas a black or boulder opal ‘carat price’ applies to the whole stone. So as you say, it is a pity they’re not solid blacks or boulders, but it affords us and our clients the opportunity to deal with identically stunning opal at a fraction of the price, suffice to say we love doublets! But of course we want to be very clear about exactly what we are selling.

    An ‘inlaid doublet’ is similar to a doublet in that it has a boulder backing but is not a solid Queensland boulder opal, but it is superior in that it is inlaid, and fully encased in gold making it relatively impervious to moisture and grease etc.Inlaid doublet shell skin with diamond bail.

    A pre cut doublet is set differently, with a rubbed over bezel or claws.

    Below is a classically set solid opal with a rubbed over bezel.

    A classic style 'rubbed over' bezel.

     

     

    Q:  My husband’s vote is to take you up on your offer of leaving E17 alone and not worrying about it not being encased in gold. Would you say you sell many that way… not inlaid in gold? And people are happy with them? Or more that are inlaid in gold and thus avoiding the seal issue and the sort of odd look of a stone on the back of the pendant?

     

    A:   With the doublets, our quality processes are very strict and they are very durable without the gold bezel, it’s really just a matter of personal taste, but we have had hundreds of happy customers with just drill set doublets, the only issue arises when someone assumed it was gold wrapped and then found it wasn’t. As you said, educating the consumer is valuable! 

     Thanks for visiting our blog!

    Please follow for updates and news about our mining and jewelry and the opal industry in general. 

    Continue reading
  • One of the best we've seen for a long time! 16 Mile Creek Belemnite in 14k Gold Just listed!

    One of the best we've seen for a long time! 16 Mile Creek Belemnite in 14k Gold Just listed!

    UPDATE: Sold in only a fews days.. Working hard to bring you more show stoppers, watch this space!

    I’m speechless… A slice of super gem belemnite inlaid doublet in 14K just listed. Free EMS international express shipping world wide. Song: Opaline by Novo Amor 

    See earlier blog for video of us digging out this amazing piece!

    https://worldclassopal.net/blogs/news/opal-mining-to-market-digging-opal-and-some-of-the-results-in-the-workshop

     

    Continue reading
  • 'Black Lighting' For precious opal turns up an unbelievable find, for once..

    Black lighting for precious opal on the Coober Pedy opal fields

    The Grace Opal brothers (worldclassopal.net & Kimberleyopal.com) AKA, Lochy and Shannon, set out one beautiful Coober Pedy evening to try their luck at blacklighting. Australian opal and Coober Pedy opal in particular is famous for it's flourescence under ultra violet light.Shannon with the old cumbersome 240 volt blacklight underground.

    Above is a picture of Shannon with an 18 watt 240 v blacklight that we used for decades, thank God for the recent advent of powerful UV torches that weigh only grams and shine much, much farther than these shoulder destroying, time consuming behemoths.

    The Larkins Folly opal field at night.

    Above is a long exposure showing Jupiter setting in the west and some of the old, extremely rich (in their day) opal workings on the Old 10 Mile and Larkins Folly (foreground) opal fields of Coober Pedy Australia. 

    Black lighting on the surface around old diggings in Coober Pedy has been a game of diminishing returns over the last 30 odd years, and in the last dozen or so has usually been downright depressing. Rarely anything but a lot of hard work, very dangerous due to the ever present death traps that are mining shafts literally everywhere, not to mention the gaze of a thousand noodlers (fossickers) having stripped the dumps of all but tiny traces. 

    Hope, however, springs eternal, and one particular night on the fields a few years back, we had that rare burst of energy and enthusiasm to brave the opal fields at night to blacklight, particularly as we wanted to try out the new high powered UV torches that had revolutionised so much of our mining and opal exploration.

    The night sky looking south

    Another long exposure looking south, note the southern cross and pointers, always taking the stage in the southern sky over Coober Pedy's crystal nights. 

     The above video was taken moments after uncovering a fully opalised belemnite in its host rock. the excitement is palpable as I inspect the ancient opal fossil to see the extent of its filling.

    Amazing opal I happened upon in the old dirt.

    I couldn't believe my eyes when I found this belemnite pipe (carefully removed from its host rock, (natural breaks).

     

    Mind blowing, super gem extremely stable high quality light crystal opal in large cuttable pieces, this will make some truly world class opal jewelry.. 

     

    The cleaned opal pipe..  Perhaps a once in a lifetime find..

     The full extent of the opalised ancient squid (belemnite) pieces.

    Jewelry set made from the pipe.

    A stunning set made with the opal we sent to the UK via Fedex.

    This piece was not even listed before Mum snapped it up!

    This piece didnt get to the website, Mum snapped it up at first glance! 

    Natural opal earrings

    Another shot of those lovely earrings. 

    Below is a video of the 'kingstone'. This is extremely rare and superb quality opal, cant wait to find a truck full! :-)

    Continue reading
  • Mining absolutely stunning natural Australian opal on The Farm, Coober Pedy Australia.

    Opal in the wall on The Farm opal field, Coober Pedy.

    Several years ago we were in Coober Pedy and a bit hard up for places to find opal.

    I went for a fly over on Google maps and found this open cut i knew had been started over 20 years ago but had now been completed to the opal level. We went to check and sure enough it had been abandoned so we had a scratch around for a few days, and here are some of the results in a quick video! Shows opening up, digging in the opal level, some of the stunning precious opal kingstones, and of course, the finished one of a kind pieces of beautiful Australian opal jewelry that resulted. Miing explosion moving mullock..fast

     

    Stunning top opal rough from the dig we made in to beautiful opal jewelry.Rough opal from the dig.

     

     

    Continue reading