Ebay sellers are selling this opal and its fake. We have proof
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- See Justin from blackopaldirect.com show the proof that these sellers on ebay are selling treated opal. A fraudulent act that needs to be stopped. If you have bought some of this opal show them this video and see there reaction. All the seller I have bought from have changed there listings as now the proof is available.
the ebay scammer disliked this video
Yeah they don't like to know they have bought opal that has been treated. But when you have ignorance and no desire to find the truth then it there own fault.
Hello Mr Ravishing Gem I am just letting you know I have nothing against Ethiopian opal. It has its place in the world. But I am definitely going to correct you about Australian opal and the sellers. Yes there are people in Australia that don't like Ethiopian opal. (I am not one of them) But when a person tries to treat Ethiopian opal to look like black opal from Australia then it is a crime if it is undisclosed.
Dear Mr Ravishing Gem, Ethiopian opals are beautiful, just label it correctly by telling the truth that's all there is to it. As a customer that got scammed, I was disappointed, I never went back to that opal seller and posted the fake on social media to tell others to be careful. If you don't want customers in the long run then do tell lies. But if you want customers then do what Justin Thomas does, tell the truth, it seems hard to first but very rewarding in the long run. I've got my recent batch of rough opals from Justin as he tells the truth.
I agree with both of you. I just bought a smoked ethiopian opal and it was labeled as such. If they are labeling them as black opal and it's a smoked ethiapian opal then it's wrong, but if it's labeled lile mine was as, smoked ethiopian welo, well then. You are getting what you paid for. It's still opal, just treated for darkening.
Here's the rub (Pun intended), If you're claiming it to be Lightning Ridge Black Opal in order to fetch higher prices, then you are purposefully cheating people out of money, and that makes you a thief. There is nothing wrong with selling treated opals with full disclosure, and buyers will purchase those stones willingly.
Not everyone can afford the cost of a stone that may cost several thousand per carat. That's why people buy cubic zirconium diamonds; you get the flash, with a lot less cash.
8
It is just sad that we have to be so careful about everything we purchase. Thank you for educating us on what is being done and sold.
Where ever money can be made counterfeits will be created is rubbish. Just goes to show how sort after black opals are 😖. If recently started buying white Australian seams to cut and polish by hands myself because I don't trust these ready polished ones. Plus it's very fun and rewarding
i buy all examples of fake opal so when i go to sell my real opals, i can show the buyer what a fake looks like...
The reason They treat the opal is to make it look like the rare black opal from Lightning Ridge . Other wise what would they do it for???? Also the remark about "Australian opal being too high priced" Shows me that you really don't know much about opal have still have a lot to learn. If you look in my video you will see that the treatment is coming out of the stone. I have done this time and time again. Also I have treated opal tested by labs to show it is treated.
Hi there friend. I am not sure I should be disclosing one seller as many of them are selling this material. It would be unfair for one to be targeted but not the others. I would need to disclose all of them.
Okay, but i saw on your channel that you also treat some opals, right? so, why are they scammers when you are not? or maybe they doesn't warn the customers that it is treated opal, but you do when you sell a treated opal? i would like to understand because i don't understand spoken english very well. thank you sir
Ronnie, Justin tells his customers if the opal is treated. And sells treated opals as treated, not at the much higher prices that natural black opal command.
@@Chiknlitl ok that is what i thought. thanks so much
Yes you are correct my friend. They are real opals just treated. The sellers are the fakes and they do not disclose and dont care. A natural Lightning Ridge black opal is what they are selling them as. So I call them fakes. But you are right. :-)
🔥
That's a shame because they have probably ruined a very nice stone. Maybe not black opal but probably a very pretty clear or white.. just because of their greed
its so freaking frustrating that these sellers think they need to lie about their product. if they would tell the truth , it would still sell.
Thank you Justin! So glad someone is trying to out these scammers.well done you.
Thanks for the video it's really helpful Can you please make a video about opal treatments which ones affect the quality and which ones are temporary I saw a lot of oiling on ebay but I don't know if oiling is superficial or get stuck in the opal I find this channel really helpful when it comes to opal , thanks a lot :))
Thank you. It is a brave thing you're doing, by exposing those who are fraudulent out there. I appreciate your research, testing, and publication of findings.
Old expression that my old man taught me when I was kid...
"If it looks too good to be true, then it will most probably be too good to be true and thus be a lie!"
So, if something is way way cheaper than you're expecting, then it's a good guess that it's not the genuine article. Be that opal, designer labels or whatever.
Thank you very much for spending your time and money to educate us! I have seen stones that were almost a copy of the larger stone you had in there at a local mineralogy show. Now I know better what to check for and how to check it before accepting to pay 700 or 800$ for such a stone.
Thanks again, Justin for working so hard to further ensure the public trust in the gem and jewelry industry by putting out videos like this. Personally, I feel that while Ethiopian opal is interesting gemologically it is not even near the quality of Australian material. But then again, nothing is. Good work, mate!
Thanks Brian
Justin, thank you, I am very happy to see you shining a light on cheats and frauds. Opals are beautiful but most people can’t afford the really good ones and fall prey to these scammers. I hope they get what they deserve. As you know I love your Lightening Ridge opals.
I'm in Thailand & it's a nightmare out here..fakes synthetics treated all sorts of tricks...so for personal use i go a step forward..buy a rough get it cut..for me the stone becomes meaningful...if it comes out a quality gem good enough if not it still has a story attached to it..
+Awais Haq Good Idea Awais If you are able to cut opal then you can be safe :-)
That's a smart move
Thank you for your time and helping to educate people. Your videos are very informative.
I have a 5 carat Opal with a similar story. It was bought from a local seller. It lost it's N1 body tone and turned brown after staying in water for some time. The stone is clearly Ehthiopian as it is hydrophane.
Would you know what they're treating these stones with, Justin?
Thank you Justin, I've seen fakes for sale. I actually ended up buying a few fake sapphires hope more see this video.
Ohhh that sucks man. Sapphires are a hard one. You gotta have untreated good clear sapphire imho. I want some sapphires but I'm too poor for sapphires lol. Have a real star sapphire though.
When you held the blk Wello up was it purplish transparency? I had one such as when first started✨🤔
Thank you Justin for this information. I have just recently found your channel and have gotten hooked on opal!
I have looked at some of the stuff on ebay just to see what LR opal was priced at. I am thinking on trying my luck hand cutting on an inexpensive piece of rough opal as demonstrated in another one of your videos. Great channel !
Thank you I'm glad you enjoy my videos
Try Australian opal auctions which have over 100 sellers they have checked out. Shipping is a bit higher and slower but not if you order 2 or 3 things at once from the same seller. They have beginner no minimum or make an offer parcels where you can get 4-6 reasonable sized stones, sometimes for 2 or 3 $US that makes them affordable with the shipping. Who wants to cut an expensive stone the first time they cut one.
hello Justin just want to thank you for the insight I have gained in just a few minutes of watching your videos. I stumbled upon your site as I was looking at different gem related vid's and saw your's showing how to cut and polish a stone and was hooked from there on. I found this video very informative and helpful and I also got quite a kick out of some of the comments you have gotten on this subject including the self called welo opal dealer who got all bent out of shape and offended saying all you aussie's are out to get them and that L R opals are way over priced.. I think that you are doing a great job with these videos, i really liked the one where the client returned an 800 dollar rough to you and asked you to do a vid showing how to cut and get a decent gem out of what he returned ! THAT STONE TURNED OUT TO BE A BEAUTY!!! any way best wishes and dont get riled up over comments made by people who just dont get it...its their loss that they understand your well presented thoughts. Take care and thanks for the knowledge you have shared..
muffdvr000 Thanks for the kind words. I am glad and humbled that these videos are watched :-)
Hello
I am cutting and polishing opals from both Australia and Ethiopia and I had a little trouble with some of your statements. For one thing just because an opal is hydrophane does NOT mean it is not a real Opal. Most of the Opals from Ethiopia are hydraphane. (They soak up water when wet and turn clear) After they dry out they get all the colors back.
this is the best way to test the Opals so far thanks a lot man that's a lot of help
I got an "emerald" on eBay that looked and felt like melted plastic, and could be scratched by fluorite. When I left a negative review, the sellers had the gall to send me a message complaining about it.
I've complained repeatedly to eBay about these sellers. It's usually possible to tell based on the extremely low price they're asking for genuine gemstones like emerald, ruby, etc. & if they're located in China or Thailand. As I indicated to eBay, a genuine 2 carat emerald would never sell for $20. I would not purchase any gemstone (or anything else that's possible to counterfeit) from a seller in China or Thailand.
@@earlycuyler9729 I've bought many of my gems off Ebay (most of which come from India), and I've found some pretty terrible fakes on there. Most of the ones I've come across are huge, perfectly colored "gemstones" without any inclusions that sell for around $10-$25. When I was younger I would oo and awe over them, but now I realized that they're either lab created or made from colored glass. I've also seen a lot of synthetic rough being sold as "natural." Luckily I've been able to avoid buying from these sellers by checking the seller's reviews and looking for telltale signs of natural gemstones (I typically get very included stones since they're cheaper, but still pretty to me). I hope Ebay will eventually start taking their shops down so people don't have to worry as much when buying stones on the site.
@@earlycuyler9729 as far as rubies and sapphires go, Thailand is the world leader in cutting/polishing corundum,
I'm a Gemologist and a lapidary so I know a little about the industry.
I always preferred the Australian and Indian sapphires to the Thai ones though.
I have bought a few kilos of sapphires online over the years and never been disappointed with what I've received. All the same, I wouldn't suggest buying any precious gems unless you or someone you know has the ability to certify them.
There's a lot of created gems in the marketplace nowadays and some of them are quite difficult to identify.
@@earlycuyler9729 Trouble is these people sell under multiple names and ship from a lot of countries. I just got a pkg today from Las Vegas with an Asian sounding name I had never heard of as the sender. They were the Australian opals I had ordered, and were fine, they were just saving on shipping by using a US broker for multiple orders, but it was frustrating because their was no invoice or name of dealer I paid anywhere. Makes it hard to return if you are unhappy.
I know what Justin is saying to be absolutely correct.
Many Ebay sellers are now selling fakes--knowingly or unknowingly--and this extends to other gems such as ammolite where many fakes are being peddled as the real thing.
Numerous complaints have been filed by Ebay but they could care less--they don't do a thing about fakes.
Caveat emptor.
If the item you are looking at is being offered at half or less than competitors--its probably a fake.
+s jones I have seen some lovely Ethiopian opal beads from India that are much less expensive than those sold in the US, and they seem to be natural (light not black or dark opal).
Many thanks, Justin, very informative and really useful. Please keep posting similar Video's
+Les Hilton Thanks mate
they are real from Ethiopia but the host rock it is in is not natural. They have been glued in. :-)
Thank you for the info on how to test...and what to look for...
So the best way to tell if an opal has been treated is by simply leaving it in water for a bit?
This specific type, yes.
Same with turquoise ,heck almost all stones these days are being made,not just treated. I burned myself a few times ,what they do on eBay is I guess filter it for a much darker color.
Thank you for that information. I subscribed to you awhile back and have very much enjoyed watching your videos. I prefer Australian opal but also like the Ethiopian opal. Each has its qualities and are lovely. What I do not like is treated stones. While treated stones can be quite pretty, I find them to be like girls with too much makeup. I would rather see them in their natural beauty.
Thanks for your feedback. They were very evasive about what the opals were set in.
Have you seen any of the opals at the Queen Victoria Market, any idea about the quality of them, since it's a common place for counterfeit products of all types.
He looked sick to his stomach describing that.
Hi Justin, thanks for sharing this information with people. I'm visiting the Gold Coast this month, are there any places you can recommend that have genuine rough or cut Australian opals there?
+ladykickz Yes I am on the Gold Coast. You can email me here guru@blackopaldirect.com
Hello ! Your video helped a whole lot thank you very much !! But I have had someone who's talking about kalimaya batntel opal!It's black opal and I was curious if that's natural should it be worth spending money!?
+Abhishek Agarwal Yes the Banten opal is a real type of opal from Indonesia. But most of those mines are mined out and now people are selling Ethiopian treated opal as the same thing because they look the same or similar. All is volcanic. So be very careful if you are going to buy any of it. make sure its not treated. Which will be hard to find. I hope this helps
@2:00
Why would an opal crack or break when exposed to a flame 🔥 ?
Is there a trick they use where they get more colour but cause the stone to have transparent side and a yellow transparent side? Just I have a couple that I'm wondering about but they're not black and I believe some are bi coloured bodies that are natural but a couple... Could they be smoked on one side or can heating cause this?
Mr. Justin,
You have to disclose that ebay seller. Members of the ebay community deserve to know and protect each other. It is just not fair to say Ethiopian opal and not mentioning the ebay seller.
The opal chips are real but the rest is man made
Thank you Justin, exposing the frauds .I dislike scammers
Id say the people who are coming on here and causing you grief and giving thumbs down on a great informative video are probably the same people who are ripping people off on ETSY and Ebay....
I have a question I know your focus is mainly on Opals. But I wonder if you may have any advice on sell lose gemstones I’ve collected over the years I have a lot label the region there from size cut. But I have so so many of lose 99% are ready to set.. I would like to sell them in parcel I’m not will to go through and look at every stone I just want to bag some up and sell them like a grab bag style. But I’m not quite sure how I don’t want to over charge and I sure don’t want to lose my money. If you have any advice I would really appreciate it. I love your shop those a gorgeous BLACK OPALS! Thank you for sharing Lorrie
Lorrie Cummings no idea sorry. I only know opals
Hi JaminGamy, you might want to take them to a Jewelry Mart in a fairly large city. I used to go to the Los Angeles Jewelry Mart, which takes up many city blocks in downtown LA. I got great deals and was confident that the merchandise I purchased was legitimate. Maybe the area you live in has a place like that. Not a jewelry store, but a Mart where the jewelers have booths and who usually sell jewelry direct to customers. They could look at your gems and let you know how you could sell them, and if they are good enough, they might just buy them from you.
I've seen , this , called smoked , treated hydrophane welo opal , I agree discription very important , let them make informed choice
I bought an opal on ebay that was very beautiful but it got sticky and then the fire suddenly was gone it is now just a white stone ...it still gets sticky if it gets wet?what do you think the issue is with this opal?
I've seen some Opals on Ebay this week that are priced up as $1,300 yet they have cracks over the surface of the Opal. Amazing how they scam people.
so, I have some opal, and i'm pretty sure they are real, but wanted to test this out. is it safe to put your opals in that much water? if so, is it recommended to keep them in water always? I have 1 welo opal.. is it safe to test that out, even with a welo opal?
Still answering questions from a video 8 years ago. You legends 🍻
Always!
@@blackopaldirect this sir is what puts you miles ahead of other RUclipsrs buddy!! Much love from the states🍻
So Justin, something that would be really helpful is to tell people where they can buy the real thing, or some safeguards for people to ensure they are getting something genuine. thanks
I know you posted the question to Justin but I'm happy to add my 2cents if it's useful.
If you plan to buy rough Australian opals off Ebay;
I would suggest that you start by filtering the results by country of origin/seller, very few Australian sellers have been selling the mislabeled Ethiopian materials as Australian black opal. To be extra careful one could decide to purchase only from sellers that accept returns/give refunds.
As far as cut/polished stones go, I'd personally only purchase from sellers with a good reputation, remembering that if it looks too good to be true... It probably is.
Justin here seems to know what he's doing, his website would give you a fair indication of what kind of prices you should expect to pay for the real deal.
I am curious, I see sellers selling opals for $300, $150, and some for just $10. Are the opals under a certain price mark all fake? They all appear to be equally radiant with color and all are about the size of a pinky nail.... Thank you in advance for your reply!
ALM4STER It depends on the origin of the opal. I can tell you now that no seller in India or Thailand are selling Australian opal. and if they were I would know them. They have to come to the source in Lightning Ridge to get it and I would see them. So the opal is not from Australia. Volcanic opal is so treatable that it is hard to tell without a lab to check. but most cheap black opal is treated especially on ebay.
HI Michael thanks for the kind words
I'm guessing they need to change their description AND THEIR PRICE.
Thank you Justin for espousing these crooks.
Unfortunately there are people that do this. Is there no way to prevent them from doing it? It seems like it would be fraudulent and against the law.
I've complained repeatedly to eBay about these sellers. Apparently eBay doesn't really care because the listings are still active. It's usually possible to tell based on the extremely low price they're asking for genuine gemstones like emerald, ruby, etc. & if they're located in China or Thailand. As I indicated to eBay, a genuine 2 carat emerald would never sell for $20. I would not purchase any gemstone (or anything else that's possible to counterfeit) from a seller in China or Thailand.
Yes I'm back again, I've seen this myself, White wello wollo being passed of as, Australian white ethiopian opal, that was another turning point for me 👍.
What would you like to know about the pendants? They are Ethiopian and have been inlaid into the pendant.
I subscribed. Can you suggest some ways we could test gemstones?
Interesting, I know a couple sellers on etsy who sell Opals out of India, they do disclose they are dyed when not white/transparent in color. They also do not claim they are from Australia......but the white/transparent opals. They say they are natural but now I am wondering if they might have resin in them. I also wonder if like in some places like heat treating tanzanite is considered Natural still in some countries because such a large amount are heat treated in the market, I wonder if In India resin filled opal is Soo normal in the India market that it's still coonsidered natural to them. I have also received some cabs with light cracking on backside or I've paid for larger broken cabs at a steep discount and it makes me wonder if not all of their products are filled with resin if any. I would love if you did some of your tests on the Etsy "natural opals" and I will link the two sellers I commonly buy from if you are interested
Wow I just heated one of the opals and it cracked but no resin 0-0 think I might be getting some pretty Ethiopian opals for pennies
Can you please check the bicolor tourmaline? Oh hell can you test all the loose stones they sell. Rubies, emeralds, alexandririte excedra. I just really would like to know if they are plastic or class. I dont care so much about synthetics verses natural. I just don't want simulants.
Very smart!
You seem to know a lot about opals.
I wish you could look at my crystal opal to see if it's Australian or African.
I had put it under water for a few hours and take it out and colors are still there.
Will the color disappear on all African opal? Or just most?
Thanks.
He didn't put it in water, he put it in methylated spirits.
Doublets use resin and black slate, they aren't considered fake... And I always thought that black opals were the dark blues, bright green and a little flash of pink if your lucky. I love opals to me they are all beautiful!
good job informing us of the trickery that exists on ebay....great job at showing the proof. :) (and I thought that little tidbit of info about how Ethiopian opals only show color once their dry was super cool, thx!.....now I wonder, why is that? Is it because the opal absorbs the liquid and those liquid molecules divert the opals natural refracted light somewhere else like inward? I don't know, totally guessing) You say this is a characteristic of Ethiopian opal. Is that exclusive? Or do other opals display that characteristic? thx again.
IMBwildrd hydrophane opal only do this. They are absorbent
Thank you Black Opal Direct....so hydrophane opals are only found in Ethiopia? (as far as anyone knows) That's so amazing. I love geology and the processes that form these kinds of gemstones. I can see how you must love what you do. And thank you again for imparting your wealth of knowledge to us.
IMBwildrd hydrophane comes also from Mexico and a very small amount from Australia but the majority comes from Ethiopia
Thanks again Black Opal Direct. I do have a life goal of obtaining a PhD (or at the very least a Master's degree) in Geology....maybe my dissertation (or thesis) could be on the similarities and differences in the chemical properties and physical characteristics of opals from different world regions and how the geology of the region caused that particular opal formation....the opal is a fascinating mystery.
Wow, not many, if any have the balls to tell the general public the truth, credit to you Justin 👏👏👍👍
Thank Justin for revealing this trickery. There is nothing like genuine Australian opal.
To the response about prices - As most people's reference point is diamonds. Would you honestly expect to pay less per carat than a comparably graded diamond? You shouldn't.
hey john, I'm new to the opal world, and I'm looking to buy some but I know now a days 99% of stones, crystals, tektits, etc. are fake! unless your looking to spend 100's or even 1000's or dollars for the real thing, even then u may not get the real thing! ive been doing some homework on opals and read about doublets and triplets and synthetic, but there aren't any pictures or videos to really show you what to look for, for fake opals! I'm not sure if u have any videos like that, that's does show real ones from fake ones! and also little things, like when opals are cut do they normally come in the traditional opal shape, or circular, etc. I'm not tryin to get the huge ones I'm happy with the smaller ones! and also raw opal, the ones that's aren cut at all and theres still the original dirt on them, are those harder or easier to fake or should I focus on getting raw opals if there happen to be harder to fake! I hope to hear back from u and hopefully I can see side by side comparisons of real and fake opals of the raw kind and also the cut opals! thank you for your time! blessed be!
I think I told you before how the 1 time I bought myself something special (I'm not a purses, make up, etc. Type gal), but I always wanted an opal and I told you, I believe, I spent about 6 grand....on ebay and yep, it was a fake.😢
Justin I have come to trust your opinion on opals. I like the videos you provide. I am getting into jewelry making and to use Opals as a face for my products. Over the last six months I have bought from various sellers. I'm curious if seller unique-jewelry-box has an accurate inventory of Ethiopian opals they range from pink, orange, blue, purple, red, black, brown/chocolate, and white. What would be your a assessment on this eBay seller.
You are a Rockstar. You recently helped me!
Is fairy opal that has been treated still natural? Is the color still actual opal fire?
Aah. If I had seen this video years ago, my collection of fakes would be substantially smaller... Mahalo Justin
What if the colors are very muted or dark in a black opal? Can it be sold at low prices (under $100)? Also, are the lightning ridge black opals from the seller larry1a fake?
Is there a market for fake opals? I love the look of the Australian opals, but those price tags keep them out of reach. Is there artificial ones that mimic the appearance ?
Phewy why would you want to cut corners... if you love opal you desrve the real thing that has so many healing properties.
Something else to consider here too. With their natural high price tags, then the cost of travelling to the other side of the world for a month or two and going noodling and fossicking so that you can actually get to collect your own stones - has to make each one you find feel like it's worth a hundred times what it would cost in $$'s to buy online or from a store. More than that, you could spend a week in a place, clear out and head to the next place you're allowed. End result "could be" that you have your own decent sized collection of opal from various fields / areas. I know that for me, this would be much more preferable than saving the money to buy a few pieces a year of REAL quality.
**Justin, if you want a holiday rep, mate.... ;)
@@genuineentertainment2016 probably for the reason he or she just said .Money ,people normal people love beauty as well but money is an issue ,these opals are outrageously priced like everything else has become .All for the wealthy
Thank you I almost made a purchase on e bay. God bless you and yours
Thanks, and I guess that's okay, cause I bought one. So it is a composite opal then, isn't it?
I have a huge opal in an antique setting I want to sell but need someone to look at it I had someone look at it and without setting it was 1,000. Any ideas where I can start?
If you want absolute proof of your stone authenticity, I'd suggest sending it to GIA for analysis. It will cost you less than $100 & you'll have incontrovertible documented proof that your opal is authentic.
If you're 100% certain those opals are fake then please Let your seller know your findings ( maybe they were conned as well You never know ) Then Name your seller here so we can stay away from them too.
+Sue Birkas
You can report he seller to EBay as well. I have seen SO many obvious false descriptions of opal stones! Doublets being sold as boulder opals, for example (doublets are glued - boulder opals are natural - so if they tell you you can't put the stone in jewelry cleaner, you know if's not a boulder opal). Sand that has been compressed and heated to look like black opal is another thing I see a lot. Buyers should also be aware that there is recrystallized opal ('lab created' from the elements of natural opal) and there is the 'real' fake - resin that has had tiny flecks of colored foil incorporated in it. I see this a lot at gem shows. They can look quite genuine. Ethiopian opal is natural but is much more plentiful and less strong than Australian opal and tends to have red fire. This is probably why they used it in the product shown in the video. They are nowhere near the quality of Australian opals, and are very fragile. Brazilian opals are closer to Australian opals.
I would tend to agree that most EBay sellers are not gemologists, or even opal experts, so they may just be going on what they were told when they bought the things they are selling. A number of them are obviously just out to make money, however. It's kind of unsettling. Opals are a rare breed - if you buy one and want to have it evaluated, you need to find someone who is expert on opals, not just your average jeweler.
+APCMC gems I thought that Ethiopian welo opals were just as good as Australian as they do not craze after drying out after saturation with water.
Is it possible to heat treat an opal like you would with a Ruby to bring out more of a vibrant color?
Penfold8 no it isn't possible with Australian opal but with Ethiopian it is.
It would be good if you explained why this is so bad. Are the fake ones going to dull more easily, fall apart or what?
I think fakes are synthetic.
These fakes specifically will just empty your pocketbook when they don't have to. They'll look pretty, they probably won't stain your skin, and due to the added resin will not shatter as easily as a normal Ethiopian opal. But you will have paid hundreds of dollars more for it, and the resale value is much much lower because you got ripped off.
(That is someone inherits it...and tries to use it as a means to keep themselves alive and discovers it's a $20 gem.)
Good for you, Justin! S o tired of seeing synthetic opal in jewelry from Israel sold as natural opal, opalite online sold as white Australian Opal or moonstone..on and on. First, an educated buyer is the best defense against being cheated and second, reputable dealers are next in protecting yourself and your money. PLEASE educate yourself by reading up, watching videos like this before investing so there are no buyers regrets. It takes years of study so if you aren't sure about a purchase, use caution, please.
How much did you pay for that? Obviously it was a destructive test
The Opal hero super Jason-takes on the big guys single-handed-leaps buildings with a single bounce, but sadly to say it is buyer-beware-buying a car or a gemstone-house etc.
Unfortunately not only on eBay purchasing all types of gemstones and jewelry, get a receipt and certificate of treatments . It is very difficult when you're in a shop to do the methylated spirits treatment.
A good tip a diamond loop with a good light have a look at the back of the Opal, you will see inside the fine scratches are darker then the surface of the back of the stone, as the treatment material has been polished off the back. They cannot polished in the very fine scratches even on the front of Ethiopian treated stones it is difficult to polish 100% every fine little mark out even with a good finish polish, when viewing Opal with a diamond loop.
And I should know nearly 40 years experience in the Opal industry-the only man alive that has a Australian mining lease listed as a heritage listed site.
Ethiopian treated stones are every.
3 cheers for Jason-good on you Jason.
Good one. We all know what the oldest occupation is. The second oldest is selling and trading gemstones. The third oldest occupation is the faking of gemstones. Always best to buy from a reputable source.
So any seller on there now, eBay, opal auctions or whatever must disclose if they're smoked. There are some out there trying to sell those as natural but it's rare. If you see one know it's probably smoked. Smoking is a way of taking their crappy stones and making them look good. Don't go for smoked opals. Go for the ones that have the color and the pattern
The black stuff is called CARBON.
How to make black Opal from low grade white Opal.
STEP #1 Boil Opal in sugar water for 12 hours.
STEP #2 Place Opal in 20% sulfuric acid to CARBONIZE the sugar atoms. (For 2 days)
Rinse with water. Let dry. Done.
Nice but that only works with Andamooka matrix opal
@@blackopaldirect thanks for the tip mate. Maybe I've been buying Andamooka matrix opal all along and did not know any better. In any case the fella selling it to me claims it's from South Australia. You have to admit it does look 10 times better after treatment but I think the purpose of your video was to discourage scams. I don't mind buying treated opal as long as the feller selling it to me tells me it's "treated opal", hello if you know what I mean?
Well it's real opal just treated. I just purchased a water clear ethipean wello opal from Ebay. It's very bright and nice color patern....not australian but still beautiful. I wouldn't buy treated stones personally but I have to admit the smaller round "black opal" you showed here was beautiful treated or not.
I never buy opals from eBay, maybe a few trusted sellers from Etsy. But I like to buy direct if and when I can. I have nothing against ethiopian opals, or even smoked opals. Some of my favorite peices I've made used smoked opals for friends that don't have lots of money, ya know? Just don't like being lied to is all really.
One of my worst burns was from eBay remaking an alexandrite pendant my Mom lost, an boy that sucked. As soon as I saw it I knew, wasent the shape nor size of the picture, it at least had a nice color change tho. Lesson learned!
Yeah as long as people feel the truth or really know what they are selling then it’s ok
i have some opal to sell
Thank you so much for your video. I agree with you, but genuine black opals from ethiopia have been found, the characteristics are different from the ethiopian crystal, right now you can find ethiopian opals really cheap because the mine is still producing top gem quality. Many people think that because it's so cheap it's bottom of the barrel quality, but really it's only because it's so easy to find right now. I like your videos and thanks for the info again :)
I've been sold one of these, don't know if i can return it
Is there a way to remove smoked treatment from Ethiopian opals to restore them back to or at least similar to there original state?
No, you will never get it really clean again. It is the same as with absorbed fat and dirt, once it's inside you're done.
Love the knowledge you're sharing!!
More to come!
hi from Milan,Italy.Thanks for video, very interesting, on Ebay you can find Gibson opal that looks like synthetic opal, can you tell me something about it? thanks
Is there actually anywhere that I could buy genuine rough opal to mess with myself as a hobby?????
I have won a few opal auctions where I have won the bid for black opal and when I received the stone it is smaller than I thought it would be. What is a good way to tell if what you are getting will be a good size? carets how many?
Make sure they give you the dimensions or have a ruler in the pics
@@blackopaldirect I think I have figured it out. Thanks for the reply!
I guess I've watched way too many great videos from Justin. Seems to me you can tell visually a phoney black opal but it's nice to know they can be tested.
Good work, I hate scammers.
me 2 bro, it goes against the Biblical commandments.
Yes the chocolate is very cracky and unstable
Bastards! I just bought a counterfeit American Silver Eagle on eBay. Thanks for the proof Justin. It was very classy of you not to drop the name of the seller, even though you probably wanted to.
I suppose another way is that the opal does not have black POCH behind it.!
I have always wondered since I have been watching u Bc they sell opals at such a cheap price. Now that I am watching u I know much better...
This is really great knowledge to have learned