FAQs
Opal FAQs
What are the myths and history about Opal Stone ?
Because opal has the colors of all gems, the Romans thought it was the most precious and powerful among all. The Bedouins believed that opals contained lightning and fell from the sky during thunderstorms. However, When Australia’s mines began to produce opals commercially in the 1890s, it quickly became the world’s primary source for this October birthstone.
What are Treated Opals, Synthetic Opals & Opal Doublets and Triplets ?
Treated Opals
There are a number of processes used to create the artificial opal or to alter the color, apparent clarity, or to improve the lusture of opals in the market.
Synthetic Opals
Due to increase in demand of opals, synthetic substitutes known as “Opalite” also available in the market that have the same or even enhanced chemical, physical, and optical properties, but are grown by man in a laboratory.
Opal Doublets & Triplets
Two or three layers of opals are sticked in a manner to enhance the visual appearance of the opals by placing a black potch at the back.
Note: We do not produce or sell opals prepared by any of the above method. Our Opals are sourced from Australian mines and cut and polished in India with Hong Kong technology and These are 100% Natural.
What is Opal made of? How is it formed? And where does the colour come from?
The known chemical formula of Australian opals is SiO2nH2O,this shows that opals are made of a non-crystalline form of silica that contains some parts water, among other very small trace elements of minerals depending on the ground it’s mined from to produce its overall chemical makeup. Silica is a major constituent of sand which is believed to be the reason as to why Australian opal can produce such stunning colours. This can be explained as the same as when light refracts through a glass prism, the light refracts through the opal and rebounds all levels of the colour spectrum. The most important time in which the formations of opal began in Australia is during Cretaceous period up to the Quaternary period approximately 150 million to 60 million years ago. During these periods there was mass changes happening within the earth’s crust, the sedimentary process in which opal was formed was due to the fact the earth’s crust continued to build layer upon layer. Oceans continued to rise, lakes, rivers and lagoons formed through out various regions of Australia and at one stage a shallow inland sea covered much of inland Australia where majority of opal fields are found today. These rivers and seas that spanned through out Australia allowed for water to seep through cracks and faults in the ground and pool in catchment areas under the ground allowing for opal to form. It’s estimated that it may take up to 5 million years to form 1cm of opal, showing how valuable opal truly is.
Where are opals found in Australia and throughout the world?
Opals in Australia are found in isolated areas where a shallow inland sea stretched from the gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland (QLD) down through New South Wales (NSW) to South Australia (SA) anywhere up to approximately 150 to 60 million years ago. Some of the most noted mining fields in QLD include Eromanga, Yowah, Opalton, Quilpie, and Winton. Queensland mining fields are best known to produce boulder and matrix opal due to the specific rock formation known as ironstone. New South Wales holds one of the most notable mining field areas in‘Lightning Ridge’ which predominately produces the world renown black opal, another area of note in NSW is the White Cliff mining field. South Australia’s highly well-known mining field is Coober Pedy, which produces white and crystal opal, other mining fields include Mintabie, and Andamooka which produces matrix opal. Overall Australia produces approximately 95% of the world’s opals.
Other countries that produce opal include Ethiopia, Brazil, Mexico and Mali for example, however there is varying quality due to the formation and composition of opal found in these regions. For example, Ethiopian opal which forms predominately within weathered layers of rhyolite or volcanic rock which can be porous and more susceptible to water damage.
What type of opals are available within Australia?
In Australia the predominate opals of gem value include the following:
Black opal – Given the name due to having a bar of gem colours over a black or dark background. Black opal is considered one of the most valuable opals available due to the fact the black or dark background helps bring out the brightness and strength in the colours. Black opal is most notably mined in ‘Lightning Ridge, NSW’.
Examples of Australian Black Opal
Black crystal opal – Has a smokey semi-transparent background that delivers high quality colours and value due to having a darker body tone in comparison to crystal opals, this darker body tone helps bring out the vibrant colour spectrum that opals have to offer. Some circles consider black crystal opal alongside the black opal in value and desire due to the ability to bring out the strength and brightness in colours.
Examples of Australian Black Crystal Opal
Grey opal – Varying in colour from light grey to a nearly black background, can also appear smokey or cloudy on occasions. Grey opal sits in between white and black opal in relation to body tone, colours can be very bright when sitting on dense semi-black backings of potch (colourless opal) and provide strong colours that are very desirable.
Examples of Australian grey opal
Crystal opal – Has a translucence, transparent or semi-transparent body which allows one to be able see through or light to shine through the stone. Crystal opal can have very strong memorising colours and can have a body tone varying from black (black crystal) to white (white crystal) opal.
Examples of Australian Crystal Opal
Milky or white opal – An opal with the same gem colour range seen through all other Australian opals but has a milky or white background. White opals don’t have the advantage of the black or boulder opal body tone which enhances the strength of the colour, however there are still fantastic white opal pieces available that has vibrant colour. White opal is most notably mined in South Australia.
Examples of Australian White Opal
Boulder opal – Formed only in Queensland due to the ironstone. Boulder opal is often cut with the ironstone as a backing to allow the stone to be darker and hold the beautiful colour, this makes it a highly valuable type of opal. Boulder opal can display any range of vibrant colours on the colour spectrum and is generally produced in thin veins of ironstone ranging from millimetres to centimetres in thickness.
Examples of Australian Boulder Opal
Matrix boulder opal – Known for its vivid pin flecks of colours, almost looking like stars in the night sky. Matrix is a porous sedimentary ironstone that has minute cavities filled with precious opal that is most commonly found in QLD, not to be confused with Andamooka matrix which is found in South Australia and soaked in a sugar solution then boiled in acid or heated in an oven to give it a darken appearance.
Doublets & Triplets – Is a combination of a piece of opal glued with an epoxy resin to a black backing usually potch (colourless opal) or colourless boulder (ironstone) to allow the piece to be stronger, thicker in size and to bring out the quality in colours that opals supply. When creating a doublet both the rough gem quality opal and rough potch/boulder are adhered together and cut in the same manner as cutting a solid opal. Triplets go through a similar process but also require a glass capping or a clear piece of quartz over the opal layer to help protect the layer of gem quality opal, enhance the colours of the stone and give the piece a cabochon (domed) look. Doublets and triplets aren’t as valuable as solid stones due to having a thinner slice of opal, but it allows for everyone to own there very own piece of this rare gemstone at a fraction of the price, while still supplying beautiful, vibrant colours that opal has to offer.
Difference between solid opal, Doublet opal and Triplet opal
Example of doublet opal – Opal with boulder backing
Can opals be faked?
Unfortunately, opals can be faked, and they’re beginning to appear much more like natural opal. The most common synthetic or man-made opal is known as Gilson opal. Gilson opals are chemically produced in a laboratory using the same components of natural Australian opal, silica,this makes it difficult to detect using a gem tester. Nevertheless, to the trained eye, it can be identified if you look for certain key points. Gilson or man-made opals are generally too perfect or too uniform regarding colour strength and pattern, whereas natural Australian opals has a varying pattern and colour strength throughout the piece. Another give away is that Gilson opal generally has a snake like pattern throughout and will be cut into a perfect oval, circle with a nice cabochon(dome) due to coming out in a man-made block in the lab,in comparison to natural opal which is generally free form due to being produced by nature. However, it’s good to note the shape of the opal is not a key factor in detecting if an opal is a real or not as natural opal can be cut into oval, circle or with a high cabochon if the rock formation allows.
Example of Gilson (fake) opal – Notice the snake like pattern, uniform colour strength throughout and overall too uniform, too perfect.
How can I order something on Aakarshan Opal?
You can visit our page How to buy for complete instructions (https://aakarshanopal.com/how-to-buy/)
Can I get a custom jewellery design made for my opal?
Yes, you can get a custom jewelry design made for your opal. However, the best part is there is no minimum order value for jewelry design. Also, it depends on the design as certain designs are not possible to make by hand, or cannot be made within the price that we display for the other designs. To have better clarity, please email us your design at info@aakarshanopal.com and gemstone details before you place your order, and our customer support team will respond to you after reviewing internally if the design can be made. We try our very best to accommodate your request. Do note however that certain designs can incur an additional fee for making the jewelry, depending on the complexity of the design. The charges will be paid by customer after ring design confirmation and before making the ring .
What is the Free Lab Certificate?
Today there are a lot of websites and shops that sell lab-created or man-made gemstones as natural gemstones or heated/treated gemstones as unheated/untreated, or gemstones of lower quality origin/mines, as gemstones of a higher quality origin/mine. There is no easy way for the new buyer to detect these, except for an authentic gemstone lab certification. Aakarshan Opal is the certified member of Opal Association of Australia hence we provides a free lab certification from Aakarshan Gems Testing Lab which is 100% authentic, regardless of the cost of the gemstone from third-party external labs. You will receive a free lab certificate, even if your opal is for INR 100 ($ 1.5) or for INR 1 Million ($ 13450). You should never buy a gemstone without a lab certifying its composition, treatments, and origin.
How can I tell if a gemstone is real or fake?
The authenticity of a gemstone can only be identified by a renowned Gem Testing Laboratory. One can consider an expert gemologist for primary consultation but must always rely on the Gem Lab Certificate issued by a trusted Gem Testing Lab. The certificate from the Gemstone Laboratory ensures and lists vital descriptions about the gemstone that will offer great assurance to the buyers. It helps to avoid the chances of getting duped by purchasing fake gemstones. At Aakarshan Opal, we give our consumers the advantage of certainty by providing authentic IGI, GIA, GRS, GII, Opal Association of Australia etc. gemstone certificates with every purchase. Further you can find some more information regarding treatment in opals on our Opal Treatments page.
How much time does it take to dispatch a loose opal?
For metro cities, courier companies typically take up to 1 to 3 days to deliver the product and for non-metro cities, it will take 4 to 7 days to deliver the product from the date it is dispatched. However, if you are taking pooja energization service or paid certification, then it can take additional 2-5 days to deliver the product based on the service or certificate you choose.
How much time does it take to dispatch opal jewelry?
The CAD rendering can take up to 10 days to make silver jewelry, 15 days to make gold jewelry, and 25 days to make platinum jewelry. Additionally, if the customer needs a gem lab certificate, then the jewelry can take extra days to deliver. For example, an IGI certificate can take up to 5 days. Also, any Pooja Energization service can take up to extra 1-3 days, depending upon the type of Pooja a customer requires.
How do I see my orders and order status?
In order to see your order and order status, the first and foremost thing is to login into your Aakarshan Opal account. Go to the My Account section and you will see your order details under the Order tab. Check your order status here. (https://www.aakarshanopal.com/check-order-status)
Note: It is mandatory to login into your Aakarshan Opal account to view the order(s). If you have created an account, but if you haven’t logged in and placed order as a guest, then you can be able to track orders on Check Order Status page.
What payment methods do you accept?
Aakarshan Opal accepts Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, Cash card by Amazon, PayPal, Bank Deposit, Wallets like Patym, GooglePay, Phonepay, Mobile Payments, UPI, and Cash on Delivery.
Which type of Debit Card/Credit Card do you accept?
For Cards issued in India, we support Visa, American Express, Diner’s Club, and JCB Cards, through Razorpay Payment Gateway. For cards issued outside India, we support all of them through our PayPal
Do you offer a COD facility?
Yes, we offer a COD facility. We offer a COD option on any order value. COD charges of 2.5% will be applicable extra at checkout page.
Do you support UPI Payment?
Yes, we do support UPI Payment. While shopping online, users can pay through UPI when UPI is available as a payment option. Users will need to enter his/her (VPA) Virtual Payment Address (xyz@upi), Subsequently, the user will receive a collect request on the BHIM app. The user is just required to enter the UPI-PIN to complete the payment. All payments are instant and 24/7, regardless of the bank’s working hours.
What type of Mobile Payments do you support?
You can make mobile payments using Paytm, Google Pay, Phone pay, Amazon pay, etc
Can I directly deposit the payment to your bank account?
You can directly deposit your payments into our ICICI Bank account by cheque or cash. Please email us at support@aakarshanopal.com or call us at +91-7024887198 to inform us of your payment once done.
Bank Details:
Bank Name – ICICI BANK
Ac Holder Name – Aakarshan Gemstones Private Limited
Ac No – 346905500233
IFSC code – ICIC0003469
How will the customer be informed/notified about the successful transaction?
After a successful transaction, the customer will receive a confirmation email on their registered email address.
What should the customer do if the transaction has failed?
If the transaction has failed, then the customer will get the refund within 24 – 48 hours. You can also email us at info@aakarshanopal.com or aakarshanopal@gmail.com or call us at +91-7024887198.
What happens if the customer’s account has been debited and the merchant has not received the payment?
If the customer has made the payment and the merchant has not received the payment, then the customer can share the transaction details with us at support@aakarshanopal.com or call us at +91-7024887198.
Do you have an option of Western Union transfer?
No, we do not have an option of Western Union Transfer. We can share our Bank Details and Swift Code only with the customer and the same details are reflected under the bank transfer section in case of International transactions only. Paypal can also be used for International transactions.
Do you offer an EMI facility?
Yes, we offer EMI facilities on credit card and debit card. Also, you can avail EMI You will find the No Cost EMI and Low Cost EMI on Opals only on Aakarshan Opal on product page. You can also avail facility by paying through credit card of your bank through custom payment link.
Is Cash on Delivery available for all locations?
Cash on Delivery is available in most of the locations in India. Unfortunately, courier companies don’t offer this service in the locations where Delhivery, Ecom Express, Xpressbees cannot be reached but there are very few locations in India, and hence, once you place your order, our customer service team will assist you in the case, cash on delivery is not available for your Pincode. Typically, all big metros and most big towns can avail the Cash on Delivery facility. For more information, you can contact our Customer Support https://aakarshanopal.com/contact-us/ .
Is Cash on Delivery available for all products?
Cash on Delivery is available for all non-customized fire opal, opal pair, calibrated opal. white opal orders. Customized Orders refer to an order of ring or which is specifically created for you. In such cases, you will need to pay the custom amount in advance (not the whole amount). For example, Gemstone placed in a pendant, ring, or bracelet is a customized order. Similarly, orders including paid certificates (such as GTL, IGI, IGI-GTL) or Pooja energization services are also customized orders. So you will just need to pay the amount for the ring, pendant, bracelet, any pooja services, or certificate upfront, and you can avail Cash on Delivery for the remaining amount.
How does Cash on Delivery work?
When you place a Cash on Delivery order, our customer support agent verifies your name, address, phone details in your order, as well as Cash on Delivery availability in your location. Based on what the agent finds out, you will be informed of the approval via email, or denial via phone within 24 hours.
Once approved, we start working on your order and dispatch it via the Cash on the Delivery courier company. The Cash on Delivery courier company agent will bring the package to your home once it reaches your city.
You will have to pay him the amount in Cash or online mode if available so that he can give the package to you.
How many days does it take to deliver the order?
Cash on Delivery takes the same number of days to deliver as a typical normal courier.
For metros, courier companies typically take 1 to 3 days to deliver the product from the date dispatched. For non-metros, courier companies typically take 3 to 5 days to deliver the product from the date it is dispatched.
Can I pay the Cash on Delivery courier person in any other way than Cash?
It depends on the local courier office at customer’s address whether they can receive payment by sharing QR Codes or UPI, Paytm, Googlepay, Phonepay, etc. If the facility is not available, you have to pay by cash. If you will return the parcel in any case, Shipping charges will be deducted.
Will the Cash on Delivery courier person call before he comes?
Typically, the Cash on Delivery courier person do not call or SMS on the first attempt. You will receive an SMS in case you weren’t at home when they arrive, and you can coordinate with them so that the order reaches you on time.
Can I open the package before paying the money?
No. Courier boys are not allowed to have any open packets with them, even if you are going to accept the delivery afterward. Hence, you must pay them in Cash so that they can hand over the package to you. This is unfortunately a policy of the courier companies and is non-negotiable.
Please be rest assured that the content of your package will be as per your order. In the unlikely circumstance of you receiving a faulty product, or you are unhappy with the product, Aakarshan Opal offers a hassle-free 3-Day No-Questions-Asked Return & Refund Policy. For more details about the Return Policy, read our Return and Replacement Policy (https://aakarshanopal.com/refund_and_return_policy/).
If I have placed an order with a COD option, can I change it to prepaid order?
If your order is not yet dispatched, then you can request to change the payment mode by clicking from the notification you will receive on whatsapp from Shiprocket. Once the order is shipped, there will be no change in the payment mode.