I've just caught the opal bug and couldn't be happier, except ... I just bought some opals from a dealer at a popular East Coast (US) show. They looked like beautiful black opals with blue-green play of color. However, when I got them home and out of their black-velvet-lined boxes, I made a rude discovery. One of my opals had a black "H" on the back. I thought it might have been a natural marking that the black velvet hid, but then part of it rubbed off! And as if that weren't enough, the black velvet hid the actual body color of the opals -- light amber.
That wasn't the end of my adventure. Another lovely blue-green marquise opal turned out to have its ENTIRE BACK colored in! It looks like someone used black Sharpie on it.
Now, these opals *are* transparent -- if I've read the opal books and websites correctly, these would be called crystal opals with blue/green play of color -- so I could mount them in blackened silver and they'd still be beautiful. I just feel vaguely disappointed and deceived. I should also point out that no mention of alterations or enhancements was made. Of course, I also didn't think to ask. Caveat emptor, indeed.
So, my question: Is coloring the back of your opals with Sharpies a common practice? Does it do any harm to the stone? Did I get ripped off and should I call the FTC?
One more thing: This same vendor had opal rough for sale in vials of water. I have read that this *is* considered deceptive, for two reasons: the stone can craze after removal from the water, and most any stone looks better wet. Out of fairness I have withheld the name of the vendor, buy I'm not getting a warm fuzzy about this ...
Will someone please tell me if I actually have anything to worry about?
Thanks in advance,
Patti
patti@notonthe.net
|
|