| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Natural Pearls | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I have question for you, hopefully you can answer it. I'm sure if pearls are an area of expertise ...
A: well actually Pearl are not my speciality , Opal is , but they go well together and I know a little ...
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| opal | 11/11/2009 |
Q: I have a 192 CT opal. it is multi color , This is been in my family for years. I wanted to know , ...
A: Yes , my father concurs, that this is most likely shell from Coober Pedy ( bi-valve ) . Miners dont ...
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| opal | 11/11/2009 |
Q: I have a 192 CT opal. it is multi color , This is been in my family for years. I wanted to know , ...
A: This appraisal says "boulder brown opal". This is misleading, a "boulder opal" is a type of ...
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| opal | 11/9/2009 |
Q: I have a 192 CT opal. it is multi color , This is been in my family for years. I wanted to know , ...
A: Lucky you 192 ct opal is big and if its been in your family for years, I hope it would stay in ...
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| ring question | 10/29/2009 |
Q: i just bought a 2 stone sapphire ring, and on the inside stamp it says magic-glo 14kp. what does ...
A: this is not my field , but I recently answered a question similar so Ill answer this one. KP means ...
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| marking/letters on gold coloured charm | 10/20/2009 |
Q: I have a gold colored cross charm,there is some kind of hallmark that I cant make out followed by ...
A: While its not my area of expertise , I have had similar questions like this , and have done some ...
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| Fire Opal Broach | 10/12/2009 |
Q: I just inherited a beautiful fire opal as a gift from my elderly grandmother. This opal came with ...
A: A 9 carat stone is a nice size stone ,"fire opal" .. well thats a term we dont use too much here in ...
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| opal bracelet | 10/6/2009 |
Q: Could you tell me if this bracelet is old. It has a wheat like chain and the opals look blue red ...
A: Its always difficult with assessment online , images are difficult to assess stones and jewelry , ...
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| Edwardian fire opal necklace | 9/30/2009 |
Q: I had it appraised about 25 years ago and it was appraised at $1600.00 If I were to sell it, what ...
A: Im sure you can appreciate that its supremely difficult to determine the value of your jewellery ...
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| Opal Pendant | 9/5/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased a vintage 14K opal pendant, the opal was described as black opal. I was ...
A: Nice piece,this carving could be a semi black opal as the material is mid grey base colour , however ...
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| shopping in Idar Oberstein | 9/2/2009 |
Q: your site came up when I querried about buying jewelry in Idar Oberstein. Will be there in early ...
A: Idar Oberstein has been a major gemstone cutting village, cutting amethyst for at least several ...
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| opal repair | 8/29/2009 |
Q: I have a tanzanite with inlaid australian opals on the side. One of the inlaid opals has fallen out ...
A: Yes the inlay should be easy to replace , I cant reccomend anyone in particular , but now inlaying ...
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| Gem appraisal | 7/31/2009 |
Q: My dad has inherited a large quantity of gems and raw material. Some are cabs, some are faceted and ...
A: Good to hear back from you , mexico does not produce black opal. Opal from there are usually cherry ...
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| opal | 7/31/2009 |
Q: I got from an old lady after she passed away, three little glass "pipes" and in them was some oil, ...
A: Yes these are queensland Boulder opals , chips and pipes. Lucky you . They can be beautiful items to ...
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| Gem appraisal | 7/31/2009 |
Q: My dad has inherited a large quantity of gems and raw material. Some are cabs, some are faceted and ...
A: Unfortunately this website is not designed to help sell goods, if so you seek an expert for selling. ...
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| opal | 7/30/2009 |
Q: I got from an old lady after she passed away, three little glass "pipes" and in them was some oil, ...
A: sure there worth something. If you only knew what it takes to win the opal from the ground and the ...
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| Opal Repair | 7/29/2009 |
Q: I just obtained a vintage 9K Opal and Ruby ring from Scotland. It was very dirty and as I was ...
A: wow thats interesting late 1800s piece. Well yes it is a practise back then to not close the claws ...
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| Drilling gem stones with diamond drill instructions | 7/2/2009 |
Q: I purchased some diamond drill bits for my wife who like to make custom jewelry. I was not able to ...
A: sorry to answer late , Ive only just returned from the opal fields in central australia. I only use ...
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| opal ring | 6/26/2009 |
Q: I have an opal ring which I bought at an antiques fair a few years ago. I am trying to research its ...
A: this is not so much about the opal as it is about the gold ring.The markings only indicate the gold ...
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| Boulder Opal | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I have a necklace thats supposedly a boulder opal from australia? Are they worth anything? Its ...
A: Boulder Opals can be very very valuable. What colours do you see , does it have a clean face ? there ...
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| Need Help | 4/24/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you would be able to help me determine how much this bengal bracelet with ...
A: Thats a lovely item ,hinged with the stones set with claws are they clip on earrings or screw ?I ...
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| cubic zirconia and windex | 4/10/2009 |
Q: I put my cubic zirconia in windex and left it overnight. Duh! Now I have a blue CZ. What can I do ...
A: Its really not my bag , but I do know windex. What were you thinking there ? It must look nice as a ...
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| pearl ring | 3/18/2009 |
Q: I have a pearl engagement ring that is set only by a post drilled through the bottom of the pearl. ...
A: This is not really my area , but Im most happy to help you as we have a lot of repairs for pearls ...
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| Wearing rings together | 3/2/2009 |
Q: My partner and I are about to buy our wedding bands but are a bit unsure on what to go for. My ...
A: its really not my field , but Ill answer anyway . Select what looks good and matches both they ...
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| unidentified cabachon | 2/22/2009 |
Q: I have a large cabochon ring with diamonds. I was told about 20 years ago that it was a Mexican ...
A: Im sorry I cant see a picture there, but if there was I surely could tell you if its a Queensland ...
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| opal condition | 2/19/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased a large ring from a jeweler in another state. It came with an appraisal from ...
A: What a lovely piece of jewellery . The stone as far as I can tell is either a gray opal from Coober ...
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| opal | 2/7/2009 |
Q: i have a photo of an opal that has had the top 'rubbed' it weighs about 12-15 ct. what do you guess ...
A: what a lovely piece. Its a Lightning ridge black opal of course ,( perhaps your from there ,as "top ...
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| Glowing Opal | 2/5/2009 |
Q: A couple days ago I used a tanning bed and when It shut off I noticed that my opal ring was glowing. ...
A: Opal does glow a little under UV light , some more than others . In fact in Coober Pedy in central ...
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| Opal Necklaces | 1/10/2009 |
Q: I have two pendants that I believe may be opal but I am not sure. If you think they may be, can you ...
A: THe left stone is a triplet ( 3 piece stone ) it is 3 pieces stuck together . Top is usually quartz ...
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| Bolder Opals | 11/27/2008 |
Q: I recently purchased 8mm Bolder Opal beads and an unset 'free form' pendant. I hope to make (at ...
A: Boulder is Brown,so I like to have something yellow with it try any yellowish looking stone ...
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| raw precious and fire opels from ethiopia | 11/24/2008 |
Q: i have a really good friend in Ethiopia and is asking me to find buyer and research 5 internal per ...
A: You question is asking me where you will find buyers ? Thats tough ..I dont know where you are . and ...
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| Can you tell me several jewelry associations or orgizations? | 11/20/2008 |
Q: I want to find some famous jewelry fair or association,beacause I want to learn some jewelry ...
A: try www.gemstone.org/ or www.agta.org/ you can visit websites for gemstone and jewellery shows ...
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| my opal pendant | 11/8/2008 |
Q: Also the pendant has 14k stamped on the back as well as SUP beneath it. I will attach the pic too ...
A: Its probably this shape because it was formerly a sea shell that was replaced by opal and the rough ...
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| my opal pendant | 11/8/2008 |
Q: I'm looking at buying a opal pendant 20x23mm lightly curved floral design with piercings color play ...
A: its nicely made, the back is also nice design . But to say where it came from is very difficult ...
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| my opal pendant | 11/7/2008 |
Q: Also the pendant has 14k stamped on the back as well as SUP beneath it. I will attach the pic too ...
A: I often get asked about these makers marks , they are difficult to know especially as Im no ...
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| my opal pendant | 11/7/2008 |
Q: I'm looking at buying a opal pendant 20x23mm lightly curved floral design with piercings color play ...
A: wow what a beautiful Item .. $2000 is a good price . I would feel confident If I were you that this ...
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| keady family tree | 10/25/2008 |
Q: gday rod... has anyone in your family done a family tree? ive started one in ireland and was ...
A: sorry I didnt see the follow up to your last email . This is very interesting From which country ...
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| keady family tree | 10/25/2008 |
Q: gday rod... has anyone in your family done a family tree? ive started one in ireland and was ...
A: I dont believe anyone has done that for us.I started to do it one time but got stuck in England and ...
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| opal "faux faceting" | 10/22/2008 |
Q: I am a designer but not of jewelry and I really want an opal engagement ring. I want the opal to be ...
A: Opal is a softer stone than diamond and is usually cut as a cabachon. However ,it can be facetted. ...
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| Pearl/diamond ring | 10/18/2008 |
Q: My grandmother left me a pearl/diamond ring after she passed away. I would like to have the pearl ...
A: This is not my area , but I felt that I should offer my 10 cents worth. If it belong to your grand ...
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| opal mosaic beads | 10/4/2008 |
Q: I have been trying to find opal mosaic beads for years now. However the selection is very limited. I ...
A: you have to value the opal a little more preciously than how you are presently appraising them . If ...
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| raw opals uncut | 9/22/2008 |
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 necklace | 9/21/2008 |
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 , ...
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| clear opals | 9/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| ORIENTAL OPAL | 8/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| marking on back of pendant | 8/22/2008 |
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 ? ...
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| opal brooch | 8/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| opal brooch | 8/2/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| makers mark ring | 6/25/2008 |
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 . ...
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| my australian opal ring | 6/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| my australian opal ring | 6/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| Austrailian Opal/Gemstone | 5/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| found a ring | 4/22/2008 |
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 ...
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| Opal maker's mark | 4/20/2008 |
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 ...
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| Opal Necklace | 4/16/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Opal Repair | 3/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| Mintabie opals | 2/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| opal filling | 2/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| opal filling | 2/26/2008 |
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 ...
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| Opal crack repairs | 2/17/2008 |
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 ...
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| repair | 2/8/2008 |
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. ...
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| Opals | 1/25/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| engagement ring | 12/10/2007 |
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 ...
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| making a ring fit tighter | 11/29/2007 |
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 ...
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| NR gold mark | 11/20/2007 |
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 ...
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| Windscreen repair for australian opals | 11/9/2007 |
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 ...
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| makers mark | 10/2/2007 |
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 ...
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| white gold opal ring | 9/28/2007 |
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 . ...
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| Opals of Nevada | 9/23/2007 |
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 ...
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| Jewelry Identification | 9/11/2007 |
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 ...
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| my antique opal earrings | 7/29/2007 |
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 ...
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| cracky opal | 3/26/2007 |
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 ...
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| Australian Opals | 1/10/2007 |
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) , ...
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| gem karats | 12/27/2006 |
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 ...
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| opal in silver | 12/21/2006 |
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 ...
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| about the expensive jewel | 10/6/2006 |
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 ...
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| rough valuation | 8/25/2006 |
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 ...
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| Guide for graduated study | 5/7/2006 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| opal colors | 3/7/2006 |
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 ...
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| mexican opal | 2/11/2006 |
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 ...
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| Minerals | 11/29/2005 |
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 ...
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| Minerals | 11/23/2005 |
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 ...
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| about minerals | 11/16/2005 |
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 ...
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| expensive minerals | 11/6/2005 |
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 ...
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| opals | 11/2/2005 |
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 ...
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| opals | 7/30/2005 |
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 ...
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| opals | 6/20/2005 |
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 ...
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| DIAMOND | 4/13/2005 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Gemology Training | 1/12/2005 |
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 . ...
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| flagstone harliquin | 8/7/2004 |
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 ...
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| opal doublets | 5/23/2004 |
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 ...
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| History of Crystals | 3/3/2004 |
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 ...
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| Gemnology | 2/16/2004 |
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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