LEARN TO SEE
Colour
What makes one colour feel different from another?
THE BIG IDEA
"Colour" means more than just the colours you see.
Opal colour is created by light interacting with the microscopic silica spheres. The result can be subtle, intense, shifting or almost impossible to describe.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
saturation
What colour are you actually seeing?
Look closely at the colour, how true or vivid is it? Are you sure you are seeing red, or is it more of an orange?
Combinations
Is there a mixture of colours?
Because the colour is formed by defraction of light in silica spheres, the more colours that are present in an opal, the rarer it becomes.
coverage
What is the predominant colour?
For example, opals with lots of red are rarer and worth more than opals which are predominantly blue.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE
The same colour can feel completely different.
Look beyond the name of the colour. Notice how it appears, how saturated is that particular colour?
SUBTLE / INTENSE
Colour may be present but gentle, appearing softly within the stone, or the colour can be saturated and vibrant making catching the eye with greater strength.
NARROW / BROAD
Some colour is concentrated in a smaller area of the opal, or the colour can extend across a larger area, giving the stone a stronger overall presence.
SINGLE / MULTIPLE
One dominant colour can create a particularly clean and distinctive appearance, or several colours can interact, creating greater complexity and visual depth.
Colour name is only the beginning. What matters is how true that colour is.
EXPLORE THE OTHER CHARACTERISTICS