What is Ethiopian Opal by Steve Moriarty
SEE OUR ENTIRE SELECTION OF ETHIOPIAN OPAL HERE
From the Video
Above you can see Steve Moriarty, the owner of Moregems.com, talk about Ethiopian Opal. Below you can find the transcription from the video. We discuss where it came from, the beautiful orange, blue, purple, yellow, green, chocolate and red colors.
Few Common Questions
Ethipoian Opal vs Australian Opal?
Ethiopian opal is hydrophane which prevents crazing which in Australian is caused by drying out of the water content which creates hairline cracks. Ethiopian opal is more available and generally has a wider variety of color especially reds. Ethiopian Prices are lower and the sizes are much larger than Australian. Ethiopian opal is more durable resisting breakage better than all other opal including Australian.
Ethiopian Opal Price Per Carat?
The price per carat of Ethiopian opal ranges from 10-250 per carat based on the intensity, variety and patterns of color. Top quality gems will have color over the entire surface free of visible inclusions on the top surface of the opal.
What is Value of Ethiopian Opal? What helps value? How is supply effecting the value?
There is a large quantity of Ethiopian opal available which has kept the price low. Like most gems the top quality material is quite rare and commands a high price. The intensity of the color is what makes this opal valuable as the best Ethiopian opal have colors that are described as unreal looking like colored L.E.D. lights.
How to do you care for Ethiopian Opal? How is the stability?
Ethiopian opal once cut is highly stable. Being hydrophane it is absorbent and chemicals including hair products, dyes, oils and lotions should be avoided. Change in body color to more reddish orange in highly transparent slightly orange Ethiopian opal has been seen on rare occasion.
What is a honeycomb welo opal?
Honeycomb is a hexagonal pattern like the bees honeycomb. The reason it is valued is because the colors in the pattern are often incredibly intense.
You can see a huge selection of Ethiopian Welo Opal here at OpalLust.com
Video Transciption
Hi, I'm Steve Moriarty from Moriarty's Gem Art in Crown Point, Indiana. We represent ourselves online as MoreGems.com.
Today, I'd like to discuss with you a new source of opals from Welo, Ethiopia. Once in a decade, a new discovery of gems presents an opportunity to buy extremely high quality at very low prices. This has been the case in the past with many gems, including peridot from Pakistan in 2001, bicolor tourmaline from Brazil in the early 1990s, sapphire from Madagascar in 1997 just to name a few.
When they are found, for a couple of years they are very inexpensive because of the quantity available. As with most finds, the quantity is finite and, as quickly as it is found, it disappears and the price inflates rapidly. This situation is compounded as we see more material on the market. The popularity increases because of this exposure to the public, and this demand also inflates prices.
See Our Collection of Ethiopian Opal Here
Ethiopia vs Australia
Today, we have one of those unique opportunities to buy extraordinary opal from Welo, Ethiopia, discovered in 2008. The quality is finer than any I have purchased from Australia, up until now considered to be the finest opal source. This Ethiopian opal is top crystal material, meaning it has high transparency, generally considered to be the finest quality opal. The transparency allows you to facet carve, or cab these Ethiopian opals.
The colors are evenly spread through the entire gem, and the intensity of the color is unreal as they seem to float in the gem and project from the surface. The number of colors in a single piece is only rarely seen in Australian material, and occasionally we even see violet, which is so unusual in opal from any source. The color patterns are highly varied.
The large sizes available also make this material unique. We have cut gems over 40 carats with the average stone well over five carats.
Being Hydrophane
Much of the material is hydrophane, meaning it can soak up water. If placed in water, the material will become glass clear, and when removed, it will get milky, and after several days, the material will return to its original beauty. What this means is you shouldn't swim with it, while washing your hands will have little effect. The benefit of this material is that the riskiest part of traditional opal from other sources is drying out and cracking, called crazing, whereas this material will not craze from drying out.
One way to identify hydrophane opal is the characteristic of feeling sticky to the tongue or your finger. This characteristic also affects the weight, which can change with humidity.
The porous nature of Ethiopian opal has brought the charlatans out who are trying to change the colors of the opals through use of dyes and smoke treatments. We have seen violet colors from dying, and, although black opals occur naturally in Ethiopia, many are enhanced black color with smoke treatments. The color can and often is enhanced by enameling the back of the opal, which enhances the color of the Ethiopian opals that are highly transparent. This treatment is easily removed and has its benefits. This is an acceptable practice, assuming it is stated when sold.
Toughness is another characteristic of Ethiopian opal, which outperforms other locations. Tests by the Gemological Institute of America has shown that this opal is capable of withstanding drops to concrete from four feet without damage. All other sources failed this drop test.
Welo Ethiopian opal is unique, durable, and currently plentiful, and we highly recommend this gem as a best buy at this time. You can see our entire collection of Ethiopian Opal here.
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Questions? Ask the expert and owner, Steve Moriarty. He has over 40 year experience in the industry. GIA certified gemologist. Learn more about Steve Moriarty here.
