Consumer Information
What color is it?: As you can see above a quick look might
fool consumers but experienced jewelers will know the difference
almost immediately. Which is why consumers should stay with a
professional jeweler when shopping for opals. These cheap imitations
are easy to come by and sometime difficult to spot for the untrained.
What is the story behind this
gemstone?: Just another
gem material for consumers to worry about and gemologists to learn
about. This one is made from glass and foil giving a somewhat
close opal look if you are not careful.
Here's the rest of the story on
this imitation opal......
Chemical: Si02 (silicon....glass)
Formation: The real question is "why" rather
than "how"
Crystal System: Amorphous
Unusual Properties: None
RI: Varies
Optical Character: none
Hardness: Varies
Specific Gravity: Did not waste my time.
Special Identification Properties: Foil inserts are product
colors which are not normal for opal.
Gemological Identification
Primary Test: Inspection
with a 10x loupe and light source
 Cabochon
cut foil-filled glass imitation of opal
 Same stone under 30X showing distinct foil areas
Secondary Test: None needed if you own a loupe.
With greatest appreciation to:
Synthetic Imitation &
Treated Gemstones by Michael
O'Donoghue, Butterworth Heinemann, London, 1997, and
Gems Made by Man, Kurt Nassau, Gemological Institute of
America, Santa Monica, 1980
Without whose excellent books
on this subject these web pages would not be possible. YourGemologist.com
Please note: All photographs
and all text on this page are ©
Copyright 2011 by YourGemologist.com
I prefer not to have to mess
up the photographs with a bunch of copyright notices so please
respect the copyright for the sake of everyone else who visits
this site.
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