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Jewelry, Gems, & Minerals/Questions Answered by Expert Rod Keady
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Haroldo Burle Marx Crystal Opal of 34 Carats | 10/24/2011 |
| Q: I recently purchased an estate Opal Pin/Pendant made by Haroldo Burle Marx. It is literally the ... A: What makes you say its Brazilian stone ? Do you know that for sure ? It would be worth so much more ... | |
| Rose Cut Opal | 8/23/2011 |
| Q: I saw a gorgeous necklace in London yesterday but am suspicious about the stone. It is from ... A: Good question . Rose cut ? was it facetted ? Unusual ...did it show any play of colour ? Opals are ... | |
| uncut/unpolished opals | 4/27/2011 |
| Q: Where would be the best place to sell uncut unpolished opals,in the Atlanta,Ga area?I have 3 ... A: Gday Stormy, Thanks for your question, Unfortunately , I am in Sydney Australia ,so I dont know much ... | |
| Amethyst | 4/12/2011 |
| Q: I have a(medium stone) amethyst ring that was given to me as a birthday gift in 1970, i have a tiny ... A: Very difficult to say what its value is without seeing it . Amethyst is a semi precious stone. It is ... | |
| ring? | 4/5/2011 |
| Q: i have a diamond ring, it has 12 small round diamonds on the top of it in an oval shape. on the ... A: Im sorry that I am not an expert in this area, but I get asked so many times, I will have a stab at ... | |
| Gold mark NR | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: ) asked the ? any ideas on NR *Dukes I too have NR on mine & wondered if perhaps Fitts ever got back ... A: I cant find Fitz question in my files . I am an Opal specialist , gold marks are always difficult. ... | |
| Opal Stoned Wedding Bands | 12/22/2010 |
| Q: I am getting married in March of 2011 and since we have both been married before we are looking for ... A: sorry for late reply,its the silly season here and I am indeed caught up in it . let me answer you ... | |
| Peruvian Opals | 11/7/2010 |
| Q: I brought a bag full of Peruvian Opals and a necklace from a back country town in Peru famous for ... A: Sorry to hear about that . Peruvian Opal oh well , I cant say I am fond of this material , all Ive ... | |
| opals | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: i recently was given these 2 bracelets; both are very well made, and marked with "5" a little star ... A: The silver bracelet looks like it may be made in Turkey as Ive had a similar bracelet items made ... | |
| Question about Opals | 8/11/2010 |
| Q: I would like to ask you a question about opals. I plan on buying a pair of dangle drop earrings for ... A: Opals are not that sensitive:) but I would take off any jewellery to get in the shower ,just like my ... | |
| blue peruvian opal& gold filled reaction | 7/28/2010 |
| Q: I've made a wrapped gold-filled wire,pearls and blue Peruvian opal beads necklace; in a few weeks ... A: Im afraid Im not going to be too much help here as Pervuvian Opal is not regarded as gemstone opal ... | |
| the price of tiny diamond | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: I lost a tiny diamond on the side of ring.There are 7 tiny diamonds on each side of sapphire ... A: his is not my area of expertise , however , you could simply take it to any manufacturing jeweler ... | |
| harlequin opal | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: I was just reading in your past answers that you have seen very few harlequin opals. Truly? I have ... A: Great to hear you have taken up opal cutting, I love cutting too.What type of Opal are you cutting ... | |
| 10 kh | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: HI I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT 10 kh mean on jewlery? IS IT GOLD? THANKS A: These markings are not my speciality , but I know 10 K is 10 Karat gold but the H is a mystery, ... | |
| necklace/makers mark | 2/12/2010 |
| Q: attached is a picture of a pendant of mine and on the back it's marked mLk Sterling I was ... A: Its a beautiful pendant ! unfortunately the image is out of focus . It also shows nothing of the ... | |
| My Wedding ring | 2/1/2010 |
| Q: I have a wedding ring that was passed down from my husbands aunt. I took it to my Jeweler and he was ... A: It could be that the setting might have formerly housed an Opal in 14k gold , it might have been ... | |
| opal | 1/6/2010 |
| Q: Rod you wrote me this. about couple of months ago about my opal that I have. I just donot understand ... A: Actually ,you didnt ask about value , your question was "This is been in my family for years. I ... | |
| opal needs repolish | 12/24/2009 |
| Q: This vintage opal would undoubtedly have more fire with a better polish. Is that something that you ... A: Im quite sure I replied to you regarding where you can find out about who can re polish this for you ... | |
| Chocolate opals | 12/11/2009 |
| Q: Rod, I am a hobby cutter and have cut a couple of nice red multi color(red, green, yellow, purple) ... A: I have seen a few pieces of Ethiopian chocolate opal , interesting stuff. They can have some fire ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 , ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 , ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ? ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 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 . ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 . ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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) , ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 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 . ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
Jewelry, Gems, & Minerals
Answers by Expert:
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 !
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
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