It's a Natural Opal, that's been Dyed

[SnowMoon]

Did anyone else catch Lynn Jinks selling Ethiopian Opals this morning? It was an interesting show - for twisted logic. Apparently, labs (some, or one, at least) are now issuing certificates to say that Dyed Opals and Smoked Opals are natural. To be absolutely precise they are "Natural Ethiopian Opal - Dyed" or "Natural Ethiopian Opal - Smoked". Lynn seemed to be merrily implying that this means that stones with those treatments are now widely considered to be natural. I personally think it is an error of grammar or punctuation on the labs behalf. It should read: "It was a natural Ethiopian Opal, and then they dyed it".
She was also having a field day saying only the very finest opals could survive treatment in this way, so only the best was used. Which was a bit weird as she seemed to say earlier - unless I had a big brain fart - that in the past Gemporia had bought treated opals and they were usually a lot cheaper than untreated.
Bizarre. My brain was totally scrambled.

 

[MrMarple]

How dare you imply that Lynn is being economical with the truth? Aren't you aware that she's a gem and crystal expert and has been since Adam was a lad? I would trust that woman with my life when it comes to anything related to the gem world because she would never try and deceive us.

Seriously though, they'll say absolutely anything to make a sale. Anything at all.

 

[SnowMoon]

How dare you imply that Lynn is being economical with the truth? Aren't you aware that she's a gem and crystal expert and has been since Adam was a lad? I would trust that woman with my life when it comes to anything related to the gem world because she would never try and deceive us.

Seriously though, they'll say absolutely anything to make a sale. Anything at all.

Meh, Adam must be very young then. By her own account* she's been working with gemstones for about 18 years total and probs a lot less than that with the metaphysical as that 18 years will doubtless include flogging at Gemporia. I'm glad she has found what floats her boat, and my argument is not with her crystal stuff - although it's a bit "fluffy bunny" for me - but her saying that dyed opals are now considered natural. What the hell type of Orwellian doublethink is that please? The horrifying part is knowing there are people who will sucker for it and buy those hideous (and they are) "peacock opals" thinking they are the best quality stones out there. I don't mind Lynn. I imagine she is told what to say, but she does not have to do it. Her Karma must be in tatters. Getting out of there is probably the best thing that can happen to her.

*From her own website which probably a bit out-of-date so let's say 20 years.

 

[AndyW]

Did anyone else catch Lynn Jinks selling Ethiopian Opals this morning? It was an interesting show - for twisted logic. Apparently, labs (some, or one, at least) are now issuing certificates to say that Dyed Opals and Smoked Opals are natural. To be absolutely precise they are "Natural Ethiopian Opal - Dyed" or "Natural Ethiopian Opal - Smoked". Lynn seemed to be merrily implying that this means that stones with those treatments are now widely considered to be natural. I personally think it is an error of grammar or punctuation on the labs behalf. It should read: "It was a natural Ethiopian Opal, and then they dyed it".
She was also having a field day saying only the very finest opals could survive treatment in this way, so only the best was used. Which was a bit weird as she seemed to say earlier - unless I had a big brain fart - that in the past Gemporia had bought treated opals and they were usually a lot cheaper than untreated.
Bizarre. My brain was totally scrambled.

I don't mind Lynn - never have - but if this is what she was implying then it's not you who's at fault - you are correct. The lab statement will be correct as well. They'll be natural opal that has been treated (smoked or dyed). The rest is utter tosh.

Treated Ethiopian opals are always in the same bracket as dyed onyx, coated pearls or filled rubies; pretty jewellery stones but that's it. I could never understand why Gem Collector asked - and got - what they charge for bright pink or neon blue dyed opals. Fake opals aren't treated - they, by definition, don't need to be but they are easy to spot. They are always too good/perfect to be true and tend to be at the Aldi price range, whereas real almost perfect opals will be at the Waitrose price point (to borrow a bad analogy from another thread).

I have a handful of early smoked "black" Welo opals. My goodness, they pop with disco ball flashes but they are what they are - opals with a single colour play (usually green or blue), smoked to heighten the colour contrast. Something to lose yourself in on a sunny evening with a cool drink. Untreated true black Ethiopian opals are hard or impossible to come by except in the rough because it is so fragile. Like Derbyshire fluorite (Blue John), natural Ethiopian black opal has to be heavily stabilised before you can even consider cutting it.

Darker opals are affordable though and DT sold a range on Gems last year but his were a bit one dimensional for me. They only had red and green. A couple of single, pricey ones I bought elsewhere are magical in their spectrum display, enhanced by the natural darker body colour.

 

[AndyW]

I ought to add - this is the sum of my knowledge & experience. I fully expect someone will have more nuanced knowledge, which I'll be eager to absorb!

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Did anyone else catch Lynn Jinks selling Ethiopian Opals this morning? It was an interesting show - for twisted logic. Apparently, labs (some, or one, at least) are now issuing certificates to say that Dyed Opals and Smoked Opals are natural. To be absolutely precise they are "Natural Ethiopian Opal - Dyed" or "Natural Ethiopian Opal - Smoked". Lynn seemed to be merrily implying that this means that stones with those treatments are now widely considered to be natural.

Lynn knows EXACTLY what this means - and it's not what she's implying.

I've had this run-in with Gemporia before when they tried to tell me that a heated Padparadscha Sapphire was untreated because the certificate said "natural".

The term 'natural' on lab certificates means that its a real gemstone - not lab created.

It DOES NOT mean that it is untreated.

This is where Gemporia blur the lines (some might say deliberately.............) by referring to real gemstones as 'natural' - but also referring to untreated gemstones as 'natural' too.

Shysters

 

[VapidStoat]

Lynn knows EXACTLY what this means - and it's not what she's implying.

I've had this run-in with Gemporia before when they tried to tell me that a heated Padparadscha Sapphire was untreated because the certificate said "natural".

The term 'natural' on lab certificates means that its a real gemstone - not lab created.

It DOES NOT mean that it is untreated.

This is where Gemporia blur the lines (some might say deliberately.............) by referring to real gemstones as 'natural' - but also referring to untreated gemstones as 'natural' too.

Shysters

It's definitely deliberate. Their dodgy ploys and twisted phrases are carefully thought out, and fed to all the presenters and buyers.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

It seems to be becoming more and more often now. Desperation before April?

 

[Rose de France]

It's natural (not synthetic) opal with unnatural (man-made) colour.

 

[VapidStoat]

It seems to be becoming more and more often now. Desperation before April?

Desperation full stop, I would have thought.

Though I can't imagine why after making the hunky Jake Thompson their Managing Director. I bet the staff have to go to huge efforts to hold themselves back after watching him striding boobily down the corridors, stopping occasionally to stick out a hand and screech "India says NO to lab grown diamonds!" at anyone unfortunate enough to be passing by.

 

[Womanwithnoname]

It's natural (not synthetic) opal with unnatural (man-made) colour.

Exactly that!
If one has a naturally brown hair that then was bleached to blond, the hair remains Natural as it is not some Synthetic wig, but it’s been Treated to achieve the look.

 

[Womanwithnoname]

On the second thought I withdraw my terrible metaphor! Apologies
Just had a horrible vision of their sales pitch :
”Natural fresh scalps, buy one brown, get blond free, fill your boots, won’t be able to bring it to you again!”
Thank goodness Gemporia is not trading in the natural human hair (yet)!

 

[Schmoo]

Desperation full stop, I would have thought.

Though I can't imagine why after making the hunky Jake Thompson their Managing Director. I bet the staff have to go to huge efforts to hold themselves back after watching him striding boobily down the corridors, stopping occasionally to stick out a hand and screech "India says NO to lab grown diamonds!" at anyone unfortunate enough to be passing by.

I was starting to think the personal comments were getting a bit much all round, but the bit about "India says NO...." made me laugh so much that my guilt is assuage.