Types of Opals

"Black opal" is a term used for opal that has a dark bodycolor, often black or dark gray. The term is also used for opal that has a dark blue or dark green bodycolor. The dark bodycolor often makes the fire of black opal more obvious.

Australian Boulder opals are the second most valuable type of opal (following black opal). Boulder opals are easily distinguished by their layer of solid brown ironstone left on the back of the stone.

Opal doublets and triplets can be a fantastic alternative to solid stones as they are much cheaper than solid black opals. Solid opals with the same appearance as an opal triplet can be ten times the price as they are rare and valuable, therefore they serve a useful purpose in making beautiful dark opals affordable. However, you need to be aware of what you are buying, and know how to correctly care for doublets and triplets to avoid water damage.

Opal Doublets and Triplets FAQ : What is a doublet opal? What is a triplet opal? What is the difference between doublets, triplets, and solid opals? What happens when doublets or triplets get wet? Why do some opals go cloudy? How should I care for a doublet or triplet?

"Light opal" and "white opal" are terms used for opal material that has a white, yellow or cream body color. This is the most common bodycolor for precious opal. The stones in the photo were cut from material mined at Coober Pedy, South Australia.

Different types of matrix opals come from a variety of fields. Boulder matrix comes from the Queensland fields in the northern part of the opal regions in Australia. There is another form of matrix opal from Andamooka in South Australia which is treated to give it a darker background.

Because triplet opals have a clear non-opal capping on top, it is easy for an experienced person to identify a triplet immediately by the appearance of the stone. Triplets usually have a 'glassy' appearance and the light reflects differently from the top of the stone.