HOW ARE OPALS GRADED OR VALUED?
Opals are valued on the mining fields by the miner, assessed again by the polisher and cutter and reviewed again by the retailer. Valuing opals is the most difficult role as it is subjective and relies heavily upon experience. Valuers are looking for colour, clarity, colour variations, cabochon and finally carat weight. It is market driven and fluctuated wildly in the past. Nowadays the market is stable and mature and a general increase of 25% per annum is experienced.
