Featured Opal or Not??

Hi everyone
I've been off-line for a few days due to work commitments. I have been having withdrawal symptoms from the forum so I am well and truly hooked!!!
This is another little piece from Gran's shoeboxes. It looks very costumey but when I held it to the light and looked at it with my loupe the stone came alive. No bubbles either. There are a couple of symbols stamped into the metal that I can't make out but I would say definitely not silver. Any thoughts on this piece.
Many thanks.
Tracey

 

It is a little sparkler, but you're right, it is costume, including the 'opal'.
Maybe 1960s, but the costume joolies will be able to tell for sure.

 

Ah the forum! On the one hand perfect bliss, on the other the torture of brutal addiction.

 

Hi AJ
I think it is a great addiction. Just not enough hours in the day!!! I was showing my sister the forum this evening and I have a feeling she will also get hooked

 

Hi Tracey.

The more the merrier, so why not ask her join!

 

I think she just might. I did ask her

 

nope that is a pink harlequin glass opal or vintage fire opal
still pretty and highly well liked

 

I love these glass opals. I do admit to popping the ‘stones’ out of the broken pot metal brooches if they don’t have any saving graces. Then I add them to my stash in case I need one to repair a nicer piece.
Not suggesting you do this to yours though!

 

Yup, foiled glass made to look like opal. The back is typical of inexpensive costume brocches from the 60s - it's still pretty though, I like these. The box is great. 60s plastic.

 

I have made a few pretties from glass
Fire opals in the pink
All have been very well received

if you plan to take it apart
You could do a pendant perhaps !

 

Thanks everyone, as always for the great knowledge and comments
I have just found another opal brooch that I suspect is not glass. Please let me know what you think.

@Mayflowermoonco I love what you have done with the fire opals.

 

That looks like the real deal . Beautiful.
Wait for the experts though as my opinion means diddly!

 

Given it's in gold, I suspect more likely to be opal.

 

I agree, opal.
One of the clues in spotting a genuine, natural opal is to see if the colour pattern and flashes change place if you move the stone around. I can see a clear difference between photos #1 and #2, so yes a natural opal. Aussie of course!

 

Aussie of course. Putting the two pieces next to each other shows which one is glass and which one is the real deal. Look what happens to the surrounding glass stones in this piece. Is this normal for glass?.

 

HHHMMM, if I'm seeing this right every other stone is a pale green, the ones that light up, they probably have uranium in them. The others look like they may have an Aurora Borealis finish, a reflective surface finish.

 

Does hyalite opal also flouresence this green colour? A long shot I know but doing lots of research

 

I second (or third) not opal. Look through the top dome, most likely it is clear and what you are seeing is the foil on the bottom of the stone.

 

Looks like it could be a triplet.

 

How do you know it's Aussie maybe it's Brazilian.