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sweetpea

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Joined
Jun 25, 2008
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Lancashire lassie
Hi everyone

I may be about to break my duck with rocks and co:20:

Earlier today i saw this being auctioned and thought it very unusual

265694.jpg


Does anyone have any experience of this stone as I have never seen it before apart from on this channel?

it was going for £49 for a 5 carat size and seemed a good price.

I need to checkout before 2pm tomorrow and would appreciate any opinions.

Ta muchly:1:
 
Is it boulder opal Sweetpea? I haven't seen it look like this before, it tends to look like black opal with the host rock clearly visible from what I've seen. However the price seems good and I would suggest you take a look and post a photo for more opinions when it arrives.
 
I really like it, dont know anything about the piece but thought it was going to be more than £49.
If you like it and can afford it then go for it and hope you enjoy wearing it :)
 
:5: fancy seeing you here !!!!! ive been looking at this as it intrigues me as i lurvvve my opals , i havent got it, but i brought a loose stone direct from australia,the host rock is a solid brown and there are the the most amazin flashes of blue. green and violet its an amazing stone.... i know its not same but i think youd need to see ring IRL to make up mind ..if not for you i might know someone who might likey:59:
 
I can't see the picture Sweetpea, is it black with lots of little colour sparklies in it? Do they call it matrix opal?? If it is, it's very difficult to see on screen, I suppose the only way to really know, is get it home and have a looksee.

:doggie:
 
oops....forgot to say it's called matrix opal,dunno whether that is the same as boulder opal though.

For the size it does seem reasonable though....as you say BC and marie it's probably worth the postage to check it out properly.

Thanks guys,appreciate your opinions xxx
 
:Hiya: Sweetpea

You know I've been watching these Matrix Opals and was about to ask if anyone had one! Go for it and then you can tell me what they're like :Happy1:

Nice to see you venture over to the "other side"!!
D5149F724A818A46A3DDD886C8B1.gif
 
Hey Klos:60:

I do nosey around a bit,but I don't have sky so have to rely on the web stream,which is hit and miss tbh.

I got it working on firefox though,and whilst watching Gems online,checking emails,wandering around here etc I clicked and saw it and just sorta clicked 'buy':11:

I now think I have to check it out so will let you know what I think....will try and post a pic too,though they won't be as professional as yours!!!:4:
 
Hey Klos:60:

I do nosey around a bit,but I don't have sky so have to rely on the web stream,which is hit and miss tbh.

I got it working on firefox though,and whilst watching Gems online,checking emails,wandering around here etc I clicked and saw it and just sorta clicked 'buy':11:

I now think I have to check it out so will let you know what I think....will try and post a pic too,though they won't be as professional as yours!!!:4:


Excuse me but I could win a Book Deal with my photos - How not to take a Picture!! :Bum1:
 
Sweetpea I haven't seen the matrix opal from Rocks BUT every single opal is different and you need to get it for a look. You're looking for great colour play - if the one you get doesn't, it's worth getting another because they really do vary greatly.

I wanted to show you this because it really demonstrates what a matrix opal is. The white is the host rock and you can see the opal inside! I love this as it looks like a dinosaur egg with a volcano inside!

IMG_9169.jpg


Here's another - this is a Yowah Nut Opal:

OpalYowahNut.jpg
 
Thanks for that Meeshoo:1:

That dinosaur egg looks fab,very different and the second one,yowah nut,I really like that,in fact I think I had something that looked a bit similar,though not quite as impressive in colour as the one you have, in a little pendant on a leather cord which I bought from Fremantle market when over in Oz visiting my sisters.

I have lost it though:17:

This matrix from Rocks&co looks like it has glittery bits that will twinkle so will have to see what it looks like irl, as I think their photos are somewhat unrealistic tbh.

Surprisingly I found when in Oz,buying opals there is not very cheap,you think it would be being as you are nearer the source,so I think our jewellery channels do quite well getting us the pieces they do at the prices the sell for.
 
Meeshoo I can always rely on your for further education - glad you don't charge me for it though!

Those are really unusual - the eggy one looks like an eye from a monster but nice with it. The nutty one would suit Sweetpea better though I think :27: :18:
 
I love Opals sweetpea, and that ring looks lovely in the photo. I will be very interested to see what it is like when you get it home :)
That 'dinosaur egg' is fab isn't it?!
 
:1: Ive just spent a pleasant few hours at a gem and rock fair that comes to us once a year , the stones you get at these are amazing... in fact the two pieces that meesh has shown ive also collected love my opals, my pendant sweetpea is made from the second stone,it has stunning violet colours. Today tho i was tempted by some carvings that were made out of the top one of meesh's matrix, but they were astronnomical prices for carvings no bigger than your little fingernail..stunning tho.I look forward to seeing what the ring looks lik as im interested too,so we wait with baited breath sweetpeaxx
 
These 'Matrix opals' are treated.
http://www.rocksandco.com/library/gemstone-enhancement.html
Look under opal (Matrix)

I believe they must be treated as in this way...
http://www.shed.com/aom/storyfile/matrix.html

I've thought about buying them in the past but, for the money, I don't want to waste postage returning them. I saw the QVC Andamooka opal at their Gems Day preview and was decidedly unimpressed, no colour play what-so-ever and 5 times he price of Rocks & Co treated opal. (The gems buyer told me it was also treated opal). Thought you ought to know about the heat treatment before you buy...I will be interested in what you think of them in the flesh, though. Maybe they're a lot nicer than the QVC lot?
 
Hi Sweetpea,I saw this and fancied it but wasn't sure what it would look like.Please let us know.I did buy a mexican matrix opal from Gems and sent it back cos it looked like a brown rock with a little bit of colour in the middle,so good luck.That one was over £100.
 
These 'Matrix opals' are treated.
http://www.rocksandco.com/library/gemstone-enhancement.html
Look under opal (Matrix)

I believe they must be treated as in this way...
http://www.shed.com/aom/storyfile/matrix.html

I've thought about buying them in the past but, for the money, I don't want to waste postage returning them. I saw the QVC Andamooka opal at their Gems Day preview and was decidedly unimpressed, no colour play what-so-ever and 5 times he price of Rocks & Co treated opal. (The gems buyer told me it was also treated opal). Thought you ought to know about the heat treatment before you buy...I will be interested in what you think of them in the flesh, though. Maybe they're a lot nicer than the QVC lot?

That second link is very interesting Huggles - thanks. Great explanations and pics on there. I don't think the treatment Rocks and Co do is much different than this but they've cut it down to read "heated in organic substances". Can't wait for Sweetpea's opinion.
 

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