Treatments
- Carbonising. Carbonising of matrix opal involves any process or method of emplacing graphitic carbon particles into the...
- Acid and Sugar. This is the most common form of opal treatment and is usually applied to Andamooka matrix opal. The...
- Charcoal burning and Smoke Treatment. This form of opal treatment has been recorded in history. It is said the matrix...
What is the best way to treat Opal?
This form of opal treatment has been recorded in history. It is said the matrix opal can be wrapped in newspaper or bark or similar and placed into a fire, carbonising the material and depositing the carbon in the matrix opal. More recently this form of treatment has been applied to the more porous varieties of Ethiopian “hydrophane” opal
What is the OPAL program?
In October 2015 Opal was the first eating disorder treatment program in the United States to offer Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programming.
What is black opal treatment?
After a period of time the opal is removed and immersed into a concentrated sulphuric acid solution. The reaction of the acid and sugar places carbon as black spots into the porous surface layer of the matrix opal turning it black and hence imitation black opal. This form of opal treatment has been recorded in history.
What is an opal to ironstone treatment?
The treatment infills the join between the opal layer and the ironstone backing and the treatment is very difficult to observe without sophisticated analytical equipment, however the treatment is very limited in its application.
What does opal do for healing?
In physical healing, the Opal Stone is believed to be flushed with health. This gem can help to treat infections and lower fevers along with boosting the immune system.
How do you tell if an opal has been treated?
If you suspect your opal has undergone treatment, you should test it to see if it's a hydrophane. To do this, look at your gem through a loupe in transmitted light. (A flashlight shining through the stone will do just fine).
Are all opals treated?
Opals can be treated to enhance their appearance and durability. Unlike other gemstones such as Sapphire, treating them is not a commonly accepted practice. Natural Australian (apart from Andamooka Matrix), Mexican and Brazilian material is very rarely treated.
How do you tell if it is a real opal?
Most genuine solid opals have an irregularity in this area – curved or bumpy due to their natural formation – whereas a man-made stone will be perfectly flat because the two sections are flattened so they can be glued together. Be especially wary if the opal is set in jewellery and you cannot see its back or side.
How do you test at home if an opal is real?
The best way to tell if it is a doublet is by checking if the join between the opal and the backing is perfectly flat or curved and bumpy. Man made joins will be flat due to the two sections needing to be glued together while natural formation creates an uneven join.
What is a dyed opal?
Dyed opal treatments Many Ethiopian opals are sold in their natural state, and some are dyed opal treated. Their porosity makes them good candidates for dye, smoke, and sugar/acid treatments. All of these treatments, when disclosed, reduce the price of the opal to much less than natural opal with the same appearance.
How do you smoke treated opals?
The smoke treatment can be done by wrapping the opal in paper and heating the paper to a temperature that produces smoldering. The smoldering paper releases fine particles of black soot that enter the pores of the opal and darken its body color.
Are opals heat treated?
To achieve the permanent solution it needs to be treated by a heat treatment that both hardens the sandstone and stabilises the pure opal. It is best if stones are slabbed and cut to desired shape in a pre-polish condition before any heat treatment. Whatever treatment is used it is often only skin deep.