 | eBay Singapore's Opals Buying Guide
| Symbolically Australian, opals are one of the most popular gemstones in the world. Ninety five percent of the world's opals are mined in Australia, mainly in Anda mooka, Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, Mintabie and other areas in NSW, SA and QLD. On eBay Singapore, you'll find a huge selection of beautiful opals and opal jewellery including opal rings, opal necklaces, opal earrings, and opal bracelets available in a variety of colours and styles. Start shopping for opals now on eBay Singapore! |
Discover Different Types of Opals
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Discover Different Types of OpalsWhen shopping for opals, it's important to learn a little about the various types of opals that exist, how to identify them, and how they relate to each other in value. Essentially, there are 2 basic forms of opal: Precious Opal, and Common or Potch Opal. Precious Opals: These are opals which exhibit what is called the play-of-colour. This is as result of light being bended and reflected as it pass through the micro structure of the orderly array spheres of silica, which makes up the opal structure. Potch or Common Opals: These are opals that do not have the orderly formation or structure of the silica spheres. As a result these do not exhibit the play-of-colour phenomenon.
Opals are then separated into Natural and Composite Natural types. Commercially, buyers have an option of Natural, Doublet or Triplet opals. These are all real opals with different presentation. While Natural or Solid opals are the most expensive, Doublets and Triplets are often more affordable. Black opal: Black opals have a rare body tone that often features an impressive play of colour. White opal: More common white or milky opals, do not reflect colour as well and are often less valuable than black opals. Boulder or matrix opal: Boulder opals, also called matrix opals, are a type of natural opal. They are mined in brown ironstone deposits. The opal is cut with the ironstone remaining in the back creating a unique and fashionable look. Crystal opal: Crystal opals, are a type of natural precious opal. They have a transparent to semi transparent state that tends to reflect a fair amount of colour. Crystal opals rank under the black opal in terms of rarity and value. Fire opal: Rare red-orange fire opals are popular for their eye-catching colour.
Doublets: Doublets are a form of composite natural opal. The stone is actually made of two pieces, a solid piece of opal cemented to a black backing. Triplets: Triplet opals are made out of three pieces - a solid piece of opal, the black backing and a crystal cap cemented on the top. Synthetic and imitation opals: Synthetic opals are made of materials which have the same composition and physical structure but are man-made. Imitation opals simply just imitate the play-of-colour without having the physical or chemical structure as natural opals. Synthetic and imitation opals usually appear glassier than natural opals and have a precise and organised colour scheme, typically in a snakeskin pattern.
Like most gemstones, opals can be set in rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and brooches. Find a great selection of opal jewellery on eBay Singapore. |
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Determine the Value of Opals
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Determine the Value of OpalsSimilar to valuing a diamond or other gemstone, there are many factors that help in determining the value of an opal. Play of colour: The range of hues an opal reflects plays a key role in determining value. Opals that flash red hold a higher value than more common opals that have a green or blue hue. Pattern: Terms such as harlequin, and fire, describe the unique interplay of colour in an opal. Brilliance: This refers to the amount of light that an opal reflects and the hue it reflects. More valuable opals show brilliant flashes of colour while lesser-quality opals have dull or subdued colours. Colour bar: This refers to the thickness of the opal layer containing colour. Opals with a thicker colour bar typically hold a higher value. Faults: Opals with cracks, inclusions, or other faults become less valuable. Body tone: Body tone is used to describe the comparative lightness or darkness of an opal as distinct from its colour-of-play. The scale of body tone ranges from N1 to N9 for classification into Black, Dark and Light opals. Black opals, being very rare, are the most valuable. White opals, the most common opals, often hold less value. Light gray, gray, and semi-black opals fall in the middle in terms of value.
   Natural opals examined by an expert should come with a certificate of authenticity outlining these various qualities. |
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Maintain Your Opal Jewellery
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Maintain Your Opal JewelleryOpals are relatively fragile and require proper care. In addition to advice from your jeweller, consider the following points: Store your opals in a soft bag made of cloth to maintain their quality and shine. If you plan to store your opal for an extended period of time, seal it in a plastic bag with slightly dampened cotton wool to help the stone retain its natural moisture and avoid cracking. Opals don't react well to extreme temperatures so try not to expose them to very hot or freezing temperatures. When you clean opals with water, do not use hot or boiling water. Assembled opals like doublets and triplets use adhesive to keep the layers together. If you submerge them in water they can have a murky appearance. Use a damp, soft cloth and mild cleanser when cleaning opals. Avoid using bleach, harsh chemicals, or abrasive agents that could scratch the stone.
If something happens to your stone, especially cracking or loss of lustre, then consult a professional to have your opal properly restored. |
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Jewellery Shopping Checklist
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Jewellery Shopping ChecklistBuying jewellery can be an extremely fun and rewarding process, but it’s important for buyers to be consumer savvy as well. Buyers should read thoroughly through the listing description of jewellery items, before committing themselves to a purchase. Take care when sellers use valuations to indicate the amount of savings on a particular piece of jewellery. Such valuations may not always be correct for the market you are buying in. For example, a seller may suggest a diamond has been valued at $2000, however in actual fact, if the diamond was resold onto the market, this may not actually reflect what the seller would receive for it. Ensure that you read the seller’s description to locate the material condition of the jewellery that you’re interested in buying. For example, if you’re interested in buying a gemstone, try to find out if the gemstone has been treated with extra coating or materials to improve its appearance (as opposed to an untreated gemstone). If you can’t locate this information then it’s highly recommended that you ask the seller directly, so that you are able to get a better idea of the actual quality of the gemstone. Be aware of any jewellery terminology being used by sellers. Sellers may use common terms in their listing descriptions, which are known within the jewellery industry, but not commonly known or understood by consumers. For example, the word “synthetic” is actually another term for “artificial”. If you’re not sure of what a particular word means, then don’t hesitate to ask the seller directly or to seek external advice. Ensure that you confirm with sellers about the country of origin of a piece of jewellery. For example, if the seller describes a gemstone as a Tanzanian emerald, it’s best to check with the seller if the emerald has actually been mined in Tanzania rather than assuming it has been.
(Content, trademarks and brands referred to and contained in the third-party links provided in this section are the property of their respective owners, and eBay has no control over and accepts no responsibility for their content). |
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Find Opals and Opal Jewellery on eBay Singapore
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Find Opals and Opal Jewellery on eBay SingaporeOnce you know what type of opal you want, go to the Jewellery & Watches portal and start searching for item listings on eBay Singapore. Keyword search: If you know the specific type of opal jewellery you want, use those words for your keyword search. For example, if you want to find an opal necklace type "opal necklace" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Singapore's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.
If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Singapore will email you when a match becomes available. |
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Buy with Confidence
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Buy with ConfidenceBefore making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Singapore and PayPal protect you. 
Carefully read the details in item listings. Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it is sent. If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile. Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Singapore (with a bid or Buy It Now). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Singapore are not covered by eBay Singapore protection programmes. Never pay for your eBay Singapore item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.
Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction. What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise? Most top eBay Singapore sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?
In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Singapore and PayPal are there for you. Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to US$1,000. eBay Singapore Security Centre: Visit the Security Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Singapore's quick and efficient resolution tools.
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