Featured synthetic, triplet or doublet

found this today in a £1 tray of rings

dont want to sell it as i love it, and looks great

just interested to know what it is

know nothing about opals, but reading about them, was interested as the brilliance goes right up to the top, snd not like tripets ive looked at

(marked 925 silver)

thanks

 

Great find, Charlie. I love the granulation too, like an Asian temple.
Is the back of the opal mount open? What does it look like?
And do the colour specks move or do they stay in one place?

 

Get a closeup photo of the top of the stone looking straight down,there is something about the stone,but a better photo is needed.

 

hi aj, the bezel is closed at the back which probably isnt a great sign

the flakes move all over the shop, with light shined in

what should the top of an opal feel like, is it cold like stone, or more like amber

 

An opal is cold, even triplets should be.
Closed back means no solid stone. Moving specks mean it is not a lab opal. I'd say a triplet made from a slice of natural opal.

 

just out of interest, what is considered more valuble a lab opal or triplet ?

 

Nice!
I'm with AJ for triplet
Some explanations:
http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/learn-about-opals/introductory/opal-doublets-and-triplets

 

A closed back does not mean anything,if the back is open and the base of a triplet is visible it is an indicator.Many solid natural opals are set in "bezel" cups and other settings with closed backs.

 

Sorry, I don't know. I try to stay away from lab opals. I like opals for the play of colours, static colours are not for me.

 

I suppose it is different in different countries. The closed back thing is something I was always told in Australia. They did use closed backs for high (thick) cabochons, but there you could see the mass of the stone because of the height/thickness.

 

i seem to have developed a somewhat opal fever, from looking at pictures of them !!

 

fossilized trampled on slugs ?

 

oh yeah, thats more like it

 

wow

 

just trying to help with your fever !!!!

 

Not slugs, but will snails do?

 

me very impressed

 

for some reason, some of the triplet pictures of opals ive seen look more brilliant