Customer Reviews

Opal Identification & Value

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even if you never intend to buy an opal, this book has much to offer a opal enthusiast, or those wanting an in depth knowledge of this gem. Other books will talk about differences in opal colors. Paul Downing will teach you to appreciate an opal's hue, tone, clarity, saturation and intensity. Lots of color pictures, as good as any other opal book, gives you the full range of the varieties of opals.

If you want a book to help you tell if an opal, especially a black opal, is offered for sale at a good price, then this is the book for you. There really is no competition. Because the author is an opal lover, student of the opal, and a trained economist, he is uniquely qualified to develop and present a systematic way to appraise opals. Amateurs need not be worried, you can easily do a quick estimate based on the book's method. Although the prices given in the book were developed in 2002, I find that they are still a good guide.

Yes, the book is a little on the pricey side. If you are going to spend more than about $200 on an opal, I think that the book is worth it. I have bought a number of other opal books. I should have saved my money. This one is all you need.

While visiting Australia, I fell in love with precious opal and purchased a few pieces of jewelry and some loose gemstones for my collection. Although I was able to find basic information on evaluating and grading precious opal on the World Wide Web, I was frustrated by the lack of comprehensive content on this subject, that is, until I found this opus written by Dr Paul Downing.

This book is perhaps the only comprehensive printed resource on evaluating and valuing precious opal gemstones. In addition, the book contains a large number of beautiful, full-color photos of all types of opals including loose gemstones, gemstones set in jewelry, examples of the various types of opals and opal carvings.

About 90 percent of all opal is mined from Australia and accordingly the majority of this marvelous book focuses on Australian precious opal.

Below is a chapter-by-chapter summary of the text.

CHAPTERS 1 - 4 provide a general background of opals; its history, where they are sourced, the different cuts, early myths, the types of opals and how to distinguish between natural vs synethetic, simulated or dyed opals.

CHAPTERS 5 - 10 go into detail on how to evaluate six attributes used to determine precious opal value.

CHAPTERS 11 & 17 provide invaluable details on opal jewelry and how to evaluate opal jewelry, e.g., the different types (custom designs vs. mass produced) and determining whether it is properly designed to protect the opal.

CHAPTERS 12 - 14 discuss the methodology on pricing various opal types and offers a step-by-step process for filling out the evaluation forms (invaluable information for an amateur collector such as myself).

CHAPTERS 15 & 16 discuss opals mined from locations other than Australia and their particular characteristics.

CHAPTER 18 goes over other types of collectible opal--fossils formed from opal, opal carvings (which are different from opal gemstones)-- and "collectible opal" or in other words, uniques pieces of opal that are sought after by collectors.

CHAPTER 19 discusses how to buy precious opal.

Sorry for the length of the review. I tried breaking the text into bite-sized segments for easy consumption.

Downing's Opal Identification & Value provides a descriptive overview of opals, though it is short on technical data or gemmological information. The book emphasizes criteria for determining opal values, and here it performs a great service, because it lays out sensible-sounding and user-friendly guidelines. This book gives the reader an independent way to access the value of the opals offered in the marketplace, and helps her to make wise choices.

Lavishly illustrated with full color photos of opals and opal jewelry on almost every page of this hardbound book. I would have bought it just for that, but it is also packed with information on opals from around the world. Dr. Downing updated his 1993 value guide in 2003, and gets down to very specific points on what features add to and detract from value. This really is a step by step guide. With it you can buy rough; know how to tell the difference between natural and synthetic material; assess fire, color, size, shape; and determine value. Every point--color, pattern, etc.--is illustrated with clear color photos so you can better understand exactly what quality he wants you to look for. Charts show how to adjust values by what percentage per characteristic, such as fire color, saturation of fire, pattern, size, inclusions, weight, and more. He gives specific prices in some instances and explains how and where to buy. The index seems a bit simplified to me, but that might be a plus for someone on a buying trip, needing to quickly refresh memory on a particular point. A good addition to your library on gemstones, and essential to read before buying a stone or jewelry.

This is a well written book and is a good reference for opal shoppers. However, if trying to determine an opal's worth, the listed formulas are too in depth and cumbersome to use. A person who seriously shops for opals will already have a good idea of value and worth based on their own experiences.

This book answers all the who, what, when, where and how's of opals, directly, with fantastic photos to illustrate the information.

If you ever wanted to know about Opals, this is the book for you. It is rather pricey and is never sold used. That should tell you something.

A nice book but half of it is not really about opal cutting - 40% is padded out with stone setting, a skill the author admits he is limited in, this is the second in the two titles of a similar name and has a fair mount of waffle, its got some good bits but certainly not as good as I would have hoped for.
The two books should have been combined into one, the author seems to have padded the subject out into two books.