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About Rod Keady
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
all info pertaining to australian opals and opal fields is ok. online valuations is difficult but not entirely impossible. Photographs of stones should clearly show weight in carats and scale in mm. naturally photographs of opals are the hardest thing to take as a slight shift in direction displays a new colour or plane

Experience
Born into a pioneering opal family , now 48 yrs old , visited every opal field in australia, seen some of the finest stones ever produced . Sold high quality gems to japanese collectors and europeans and Americans
Have an incredible photogallery of opals ...try me !

Organizations belong to
Company is member of Gemmological Association of Australia
Australian Opal Association
Dig this if you will Club

Publications
The Directory of Australian Opal Dealers AGIOA Basel Gem Fair
Iwaki Dinosaur Fair Ibaragi Prefecture Japan
International Jewelry Tokyo .
Hong Kong Jewellery Show , Bankok Jewellery Show, Hiroshima Exhibition of Fine Gems, Tokyo International Jewellery Fair . various gem and jewellery WEBSITES

Education/Credentials
Sydney Grammar School graduate

   

You are here:  Experts > Style > Jewelry Making > Jewelry, Gems, & Minerals

Questions Answered By Expert  Rod Keady 
In Category  Jewelry, Gems, & Minerals

SubjectDate Asked

raw opals uncut9/22/2008
  Q: I recently got stones with opal veins in them. How do I clean away the stone and not harm the opal ...
  A: is the host rock brown ? if so then its boulder opal from queensland australia, the most glorious ...
opal beads necklace9/21/2008
  Q: i have seen an opal beads necklace in portobello road, london, the price is sterling 12,00, i ...
  A: yes thats quite a price , but without more information its difficult to say .Are the opals white , ...
clear opals9/6/2008
  Q: I have clear opals that I am trying to polish (rotary tumbler), but they aren't polishing, and ...
  A: well ..firstly what type of opal is it ? from where is it light or boulder or sandstone ? is there ...
ORIENTAL OPAL8/28/2008
  Q: I put a little water on a piece of paper in a sealed box with the opal and the next day it was ...
  A: what a beautiful opal carving ! It really doesnt need any water to store it. Water is only a ...
marking on back of pendant8/22/2008
  Q: I have an old locket with green stones on front and the back has a marking of a gold star. any idea ...
  A: Without looking at the piece ,its very difficult to know anything of it . Is it Gold is it silver ? ...
opal brooch8/3/2008
  Q: I bought this brooch (item270258655784)from e-Bay, the picture is still there. It is an opal stone ...
  A: yes the back is visable , well its certainly a solid stone and looks great . A fire opal is a term ...
opal brooch8/2/2008
  Q: I bought this brooch (item270258655784)from e-Bay, the picture is still there. It is an opal stone ...
  A: Im not quite sure what your question is ,Ive looked at the image , and it looks like very nice stone ...
Can Fire Agate Rough be Appraised?7/30/2008
  Q: I have rare Mexican Fire Agates and Fire Agate can be a very huge Challenge to Cab or Carve I sell ...
  A: although its not my area of expertise , I am an Opals pecialist , we have had a lot to do with ...
makers mark ring6/25/2008
  Q: I have a ring which consists of 3 opals, and 6 diamonds. on the inside of this ring,there is a ...
  A: I arrived back yesterday morning in Australia , and saw you said nice things for me . Thank you . ...
my australian opal ring6/6/2008
  Q: I inherited my handmade Australian opal ring from my late uncle, he made it himself over 50 years ...
  A: wow ...the fog is a bit of a mystery and really it would have to be seen .Around 50 years ago ...
my australian opal ring6/6/2008
  Q: I inherited my handmade Australian opal ring from my late uncle, he made it himself over 50 years ...
  A: oh what a shame ,... my first thoughts are that it may be a doublet or a triplet , and some moisture ...
Austrailian Opal/Gemstone5/28/2008
  Q: I was wondering if you could tell me or research if there is a rare type of opal or gem stone that ...
  A: Australia was nt discovered until 1788,no outback adventure to opal areas till late 1800 Opal wasnt ...
found a ring4/22/2008
  Q: I live in NYC and found a ring going to a museum in my area. It has a beautiful large pink stone, ...
  A: Lucky you , see if the ring has any markings to indicate its silver or gold even if it appears ...
Opal maker's mark4/20/2008
  Q: I have an old heirloom opal ring with 8 small diamonds around it. On the ring there appears to be a ...
  A: these are always very difficult as they are usually as you correctly pointed out the makers mark.If ...
Opal Necklace4/16/2008
  Q: I have inherited this necklace from my Grandmother. I am curious to find out where this opal may be ...
  A: What a nice piece ! It looks very much like it is from Coober Pedy in South Australia. Are there any ...
another question about cracked opals!4/1/2008
  Q: I have an opal ring that was my mother's. I am very attached to it and was hugely upset when I ...
  A: what a shame your stone is cracked . The windscreen epoxy and or opticon is probably not suitable ...
Opal Repair3/10/2008
  Q: Rod Hi! I have an approx 3/8" by 1/2" oval ring mounted fire opal on which I can feel with a ...
  A: GDay Don, thanks for your email. Is a shame the stone you love has some problems that just wont go ...
Mintabie opals2/27/2008
  Q: I just got my antique opal bracelet back from it's appraisal today. I was told the opals are crystal ...
  A: Ive had to consult my father on this one . The stones dont look typical of Mintabie, which produced ...
opal filling2/27/2008
  Q: What is windscreen repair fluid? Is it the same as auto windshield repair fluid ? Where can you buy ...
  A: I cant say for sure ,you would have to try , Its essentially a fracture sealer rather than a hole ...
opal filling2/26/2008
  Q: What is windscreen repair fluid? Is it the same as auto windshield repair fluid ? Where can you ...
  A: Its a windsheild repair epoxy, is not for filling in holes but stone fractures on the windsheild ...
Opal crack repairs2/17/2008
  Q: Rod, I saw your comments regarding the use of Windscreen Repair Kit in the repair of opal cracks. ...
  A: yes we have tried this , it joins things no problem but with opal its not used as it dries witha ...
repair2/8/2008
  Q: I have a zuni inlaid bracelet. It is over 30 years old. Someone bent it and popped out some inlay. ...
  A: It should not be too difficult to repair locally . I assume your in USA ? I am in Sydney Australia. ...
Opals1/25/2008
  Q: My grandfather was an amateur gold and silversmith and an avid rock and mineral collector. He also ...
  A: yes the orangy ones would be Mexican opals, usually they are not very stable but you might be ...
Australian opals?1/16/2008
  Q: I was given this antique bracelet this past Xmas by my father-in-law. What I do know about it is ...
  A: Nice bracelet ! , They look very Australian .It is my guess without seeing them up closer that they ...
engagement ring12/10/2007
  Q: I have purchased a lovely ring at a pawn shop. It is platinum 18k with a European cut diamond. I ...
  A: crikey ! ... Bridal wreath ...Ive no idea , perhaps it was a vow from one lover to the other ...
making a ring fit tighter11/29/2007
  Q: I had a custom sapphire ring made, and I knew it would be a little big as it had to fit over my ...
  A: I am no expert on rings ,infact my area is Opals.But I have many customers who have to resize rings ...
NR gold mark11/20/2007
  Q: Read all your very helpful answers on gold markings and the one dated Nov 10th resembles my query. I ...
  A: hmmmm its very difficult from here , also I am an opal specialist not a gold smith ,although I have ...
Windscreen repair for australian opals11/9/2007
  Q: Windscreen repair was mentioned in post about opal crack repairs. Can you be more specific? Is the ...
  A: yes windscreen repair kits have a special property that makes the fracture almost dissapear . Like ...
makers mark10/2/2007
  Q: I have a butterfly brooch of my mother in law's. it does not look particularly old, and the mark ...
  A: sorry for the delay just changed my mail server and missed your question. makers marks are difficult ...
white gold opal ring9/28/2007
  Q: I was given this ring and I am not exactly sure what it is or if it might have any value. inside it ...
  A: its a nice big stone and is probably a coober pedy light opal cabachon of maybe 12-15ct in weigght . ...
Opals of Nevada9/23/2007
  Q: I have a question regarding cleaning of opals. We recently went digging in the Virgin Valley of ...
  A: sorry to be late4 answering ,I ve just returned from opal fields of queensland. We too have some ...
Jewelry Identification9/11/2007
  Q: ..I just found this piece of jewelry and was wondering if you could help me identify some ...
  A: Although this is not my area of expertise, we have had made many opal cameos in germany over the ...
my antique opal earrings7/29/2007
  Q: HELP I have a beautiful pair of 14k with beautiful bluish green firey opals. problem is on one of ...
  A: If you mean the crevices between the stone and the setting , then some warm soapy water & a tooth ...
cracky opal3/26/2007
  Q: Gday Rod, is there any product i can use to avoid opal cracking or to repair opal that is cracked. I ...
  A: yes there are 2 products we know of that can help . 1 . is called Opticon , it is a fracture sealer ...
Australian Opals1/10/2007
  Q: Can you tell me what to look for when selecting an Australian Opal? I am traveling to Australia ...
  A: your budget will determine what you can afford . Then there are solids , doublets ( two piece) , ...
gem karats12/27/2006
  Q: What determines the karat wt. of a gemstone?
  A: the Karat ( carat ) is equal to 0.2 of a gram , and is an ancient measuring system , the carat was ...
opal in silver12/21/2006
  Q: i was given a beautiful opal ring in silver,the colours in the opal are the strongest i have ever ...
  A: get hold of some Goddards Silver foam ( its a small container with a liquid ) give the jewellery a ...
about the expensive jewel10/6/2006
  Q: which is the most rare and expensive jewel in the world
  A: wow whata question ! the most rare and expensive is a crystal from another planet ..for which we ...
rough valuation8/25/2006
  Q: My aunt just gave me a pendant that belonged to my great grandfather. It is a sixty carat + opal. Im ...
  A: yes very tough to do valuations on stones online ..they are really a stone that you must see in the ...
Guide for graduated study5/7/2006
  Q: My name is Mansoor Sotudehnia. I graduated in Geology with M.Sc degree in Petrology branch. I am so ...
  A: I am sorry , I dont know where you are wrtiting to me from I am in Australia. I suggest you could ...
Your answer to me (which was none)3/24/2006
  Q: I asked a question to you about a dark pinkish heart stone (I believed it to be a peruvian ...
  A: Sorry about that , I was convinced that I had answered this question , but it appears that it might ...
opal colors3/7/2006
  Q: Can you tell me how opals change colors when you move them around? I am guessing that they are made ...
  A: The colour movement in opal is attributed to the refraction of light . Imagine a drinking glass ...
mexican opal2/11/2006
  Q: I have a mexican opal ring that my mother gave me. It took me years to identify the stone. Can you ...
  A: mexican Opal has warm body colours typically a reddish orange base colour . The opal may not even ...
Minerals11/29/2005
  Q: How do minerals contribute to the world or government?
  A: Put simply minerals are the basis for international trade. Copper ,Bauxite ~steel , Uranium are ...
Minerals11/23/2005
  Q: The mineral with cleavage is more than harf of all the Minerals? How does minerals get cleavage? ...
  A: Im not specilaised in this area but I will have a shotr for you . Minerals have lines of atomsand ...
about minerals11/16/2005
  Q: What is the rarest type of topaz, and what is its color? What does the opal have that makes its ...
  A: Sorry I dont know about Topaz , but for Opal it is "the play of light thru microscopic arrangement ...
expensive minerals11/6/2005
  Q: 1- What is the most expensive, specific mineral ever found in earth?
  A: Hummm, not really my area , but because of the way you worded the question . I would have to say a ...
opals11/2/2005
  Q: My name is Vivien, and I would like to ask you a question for my 7th grade project on minerals. We ...
  A: thats cool that opal is your favourite stone , it is a noble stone and precious in every sense even ...
opals7/30/2005
  Q: What's the difference between Australian opal and Peruvian opal? Thank you!
  A: Peruvian opal displays no play of colour ...thats basically it . Australian opal is mind-blowingly ...
opals6/20/2005
  Q: What is the difference between fire bopal and boulder opal? WHich is multicolour opal?
  A: Boulder Opal comes from Queensland Australia and has usually ironstone as a host rock the opal is ...
DIAMOND4/13/2005
  Q: i like to know pleas, what the bigest size Diamond that ever fund? keep well, Sharon
  A: oops lost you , The Kohinoor Diamond According to some sources, the Koh-i-noor diamond was found ...
Opals, just Australian?2/27/2005
  Q: I work in a leading jewellery store and the argument is 'are opals only mined in Australia'? If you ...
  A: Opals are mined in several countries ,but the Opal from Australia provides +95% of the gem and ...
Gemology Training1/12/2005
  Q: I am an acupuncturist working from my home and would also like to take a professional distance ...
  A: Guess its always handy to have a gemologist friend so you can check things out and learn from them . ...
flagstone harliquin8/7/2004
  Q: I have a 32CT #1 to 2 lightning ridge black flagstone. It will cut down to around 25 CTS. ...
  A: Please send me a picture of this piece and some details of what you are asking .Big stones were ...
opal doublets5/23/2004
  Q: I would appreciate it if you could recommend an on-line source for black opal doublets. Thanks, ...
  A: sorry to take a little time to get back , been away and changed my computers from pc to mac. Thats ...
History of Crystals3/3/2004
  Q: I am a 7th grade student at Tohoku International School Japan. I want to investigate the history of ...
  A: I really dont have epertise in this area, gommenasai opal is my specialty. and was made in the 70's ...
Gemnology2/16/2004
  Q: Keady, I am a licensed acupuncturist anticipating my first practice this Spring. I have also ...
  A: Im not sure If Ive already answered this already , my email and computers are having a rough time ...

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