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Peruvian Blue Opal – Spotting a Fraud
The Peruvian Blue Opal is a stunning gemstone and if you are in the market for opal jewelry it is one of the best choices available, unfortunately, in a market plagued by high demand and limited supply a number of unscrupulous gem dealers are passing off imitation Blue Opal on many unsuspecting customers.
True Peruvian Blue Opal is now very rare and mined only in the Andes mountains near San Patricio, Peru where it is honored as the national stone of Peru. Once you see a Peruvian Blue you will never forget its gorgeous medium tone blue, typically very translucent and dreamily reminiscent of the Caribbean Sea. The stone is usually cut in one of three ways; clear - to showcase that Caribbean color, scenic - to show varying degrees of color or dendritic - to highlight the black fern like inclusions oftentimes found in the material.
The current shortage of Blue Opal seems to be due in large part to the escalating demands of processors in India and China attempting to fill their product pipelines to the US and Europe where the stone is very popular. Because the supply of true Blue Opal is so limited, unscrupulous dealers and cutters have been substituting dyed Brazilian Chalcedony (Agate) in its place. While the substitution of dyed Chalcedony is not as prevalent in expensive, inlayed pieces such as rings and pendants, it is showing up on a regular basis in the form of inexpensive beads found on various internet auction sites and home shopping channels.
So how do you tell if the product you are interested in is real or a dyed imitation? First and foremost, take a look at the price, if it seems too cheap, most likely it is. Prices for natural, high quality Peruvian Blue material, suitable for cabochons and beads is currently running between $100 to $175 per kilogram - and that is the wholesale price, directly from the mines. With an average 16" strand of beads weighing in at approximately ¼ kilogram, how could anyone cut the raw material and string it for less than half of the original price of the cheapest Peruvian material while still making a profit? Quite simply, they can't, so how do so many vendors come up with $13 to $20 strands of "Peruvian Blue Opal" beads? Please use your common sense when evaluating these offers.
If you can't determine the Opal's pedigree from the price alone, take a good look at the material before you buy it. In most cases, especially if the manufacturer is starting with white opals and dying them, the blue color will be uneven, especially when you turn the stone so that the light strikes it from different directions. If you are buying beads, pay particular attention to the hole that has been drilled through the bead. Oftentimes there are telltale patches of the original color in this area, especially the point just below the outer surface of the bead where the hole may be a bit rough. And remember, if you have any questions about the material or the source and can't examine the material before you buy it - DON'T BUY IT! - unless you are prepared to take the loss.
Finally, be aware that this dyed material has also been alternatively described as Peruvian Blue Opal Chalcedony or Peruvian Chalcedony so don't be mislead by those names. It is also highly likely that other Opals, especially the pinks, will be plagued by this same problem in the near future.
True Peruvian Blue Opal is now very rare and mined only in the Andes mountains near San Patricio, Peru where it is honored as the national stone of Peru. Once you see a Peruvian Blue you will never forget its gorgeous medium tone blue, typically very translucent and dreamily reminiscent of the Caribbean Sea. The stone is usually cut in one of three ways; clear - to showcase that Caribbean color, scenic - to show varying degrees of color or dendritic - to highlight the black fern like inclusions oftentimes found in the material.
The current shortage of Blue Opal seems to be due in large part to the escalating demands of processors in India and China attempting to fill their product pipelines to the US and Europe where the stone is very popular. Because the supply of true Blue Opal is so limited, unscrupulous dealers and cutters have been substituting dyed Brazilian Chalcedony (Agate) in its place. While the substitution of dyed Chalcedony is not as prevalent in expensive, inlayed pieces such as rings and pendants, it is showing up on a regular basis in the form of inexpensive beads found on various internet auction sites and home shopping channels.
So how do you tell if the product you are interested in is real or a dyed imitation? First and foremost, take a look at the price, if it seems too cheap, most likely it is. Prices for natural, high quality Peruvian Blue material, suitable for cabochons and beads is currently running between $100 to $175 per kilogram - and that is the wholesale price, directly from the mines. With an average 16" strand of beads weighing in at approximately ¼ kilogram, how could anyone cut the raw material and string it for less than half of the original price of the cheapest Peruvian material while still making a profit? Quite simply, they can't, so how do so many vendors come up with $13 to $20 strands of "Peruvian Blue Opal" beads? Please use your common sense when evaluating these offers.
If you can't determine the Opal's pedigree from the price alone, take a good look at the material before you buy it. In most cases, especially if the manufacturer is starting with white opals and dying them, the blue color will be uneven, especially when you turn the stone so that the light strikes it from different directions. If you are buying beads, pay particular attention to the hole that has been drilled through the bead. Oftentimes there are telltale patches of the original color in this area, especially the point just below the outer surface of the bead where the hole may be a bit rough. And remember, if you have any questions about the material or the source and can't examine the material before you buy it - DON'T BUY IT! - unless you are prepared to take the loss.
Finally, be aware that this dyed material has also been alternatively described as Peruvian Blue Opal Chalcedony or Peruvian Chalcedony so don't be mislead by those names. It is also highly likely that other Opals, especially the pinks, will be plagued by this same problem in the near future.
Submitted on: May 29, 2009 @ 9:26am
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