How is Opal Formed? What are the types of Opal? Where is Lightning Ridge? What is a Triplet?
All your questions are answered here!
Absolutely! One of the biggest problems with online sales is there is a very common practice to advertise pieces as ‘gold’ when the small-print (which is often difficult to find) reveals that it is actually gold-plated! This is a huge risk online! Our 18 carat Gold (75% Gold) is genuine. Learn more here!
To ensure that our customers are completely satisfied, as part of Australian Opal Cutters’ customer service policy we will gladly repair goods, replace goods or refund the cost of the goods, at no cost to the customer, for defects in materials or workmanship faults for up to 2 years from the original date of purchase.
Our liability under this warranty is subject to Australian Opal Cutters master jeweller, who has extensive knowledge and experience with jewellery. We check to ensure that a defect was caused by defective materials or workmanship faults, and was not caused by, or substantially contributed by other factors, or circumstances beyond our control. Circumstances that could void our warranty include items such as repair works carried out by a jeweller other than us, accidental or malicious damage, or any neglect or misuse of the goods (as examples). Take a deeper look into our policy!
The Cartier building in New York was originally purchased through a string of Pearls. From the origins of history Pearl has been
considered the “Pearl of Great Price.” Some of the values recorded throughout history are staggering, literally worth billions of
dollars, using Pearls to even finance wars. The famous story of Cleopatra defeating Marc Antony at the “most expensive dinner
in history” through the dissolving and drinking of a fabulous Pearl is an example of this! Learn more here!
Man-made, lab created, treated and cheated gems are a massive problem. These are everywhere! The biggest problem is that
the tests to check them are sophisticated and expensive. Traders will always want to make a “quick buck” and as the trend for
“throwaway” jewellery increases, we will only “Sell you what we tell you.” Learn more here!
The Ethiopian Opal comes out of the ground looking like a brown beer bottle and requires substantial treatment to get it to show
colour. The chemical treatment is effective but is not permanent. We have been contacted by numerous customers who have
suffered the shock of this treatment being reversed. This is a problem that the world bank suggests goes right back to a failure
in policies set by the Ethiopian government. The customer is often not told about this….and this is the problem. Learn more here!
We value integrity. We live in a world where banks are telling lies and stealing from customers. The original jewellers were
bankers and the decline in morality may be the trend but it is not our trend. People are doing research and we are really excited
that people are doing the checks online, researching the reviews and making sure that they get the facts! Learn more here!
Loose gems are basically a duty free item anywhere in the world. The rationale behind this is that someone is going to get a
job back in your home country setting up the gemstone into a piece of jewellery. Learn more here!
The diamond industry is famous for being a transferable source of portable wealth. It is very difficult for customs agents to
discern a million dollar ring on the finger of a traveller and using this method billions of dollars circulates through the worlds
airports in a manner that would be impossible if it was “suitcases full of cash.” Diamonds are very much a means of cash
transfer “under the radar.” Learn more here!
Pliny the elder spoke about the value of Opals in eons past. Marc Antony wanted the Opal but Nonius would not give it up and fled Rome to keep his Opal and left his property, wife and family behind. This was Hungarian Opal which is far inferior to the Australian Black Opal. Learn more here!
Native title has had a massive impact on the Australian Opal industry. In the Boulder Opal industry specifically Native title has
affected the method, procedure and process by which the miners operate. A direct result of the native title legislation is that
miners are now required to gain permissions from the council elders to mine what was once crown land. The negotiations
may take many years to secure a native title agreement on a lease. Learn more here!
