Opal Identification & Value (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones) Review

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(More customer reviews)Even if you never intend to buy an opal, this book has much to offer a opal enthusiast, or those wanting an in depth knowledge of this gem. Other books will talk about differences in opal colors. Paul Downing will teach you to appreciate an opal's hue, tone, clarity, saturation and intensity. Lots of color pictures, as good as any other opal book, gives you the full range of the varieties of opals.
If you want a book to help you tell if an opal, especially a black opal, is offered for sale at a good price, then this is the book for you. There really is no competition. Because the author is an opal lover, student of the opal, and a trained economist, he is uniquely qualified to develop and present a systematic way to appraise opals. Amateurs need not be worried, you can easily do a quick estimate based on the book's method. Although the prices given in the book were developed in 2002, I find that they are still a good guide.
Yes, the book is a little on the pricey side. If you are going to spend more than about $200 on an opal, I think that the book is worth it. I have bought a number of other opal books. I should have saved my money. This one is all you need.

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The world standard is back by popular demand! This completely revised, updated and expanded version of Dr. Downing's 1992 Opal Identification and Value is a "must have" for all appraisers, opal buyers and opal lovers. Learn to properly identify opals from all over the world. Many new locations have been added along with new methodology to determine the characteristics that affect value, then determine price from updated value tables. Ascertain if the opal is a natural solid, boulder, doublet, triplet, dyed or lab-created. Be able to ask definitive questions when considering an opal. Learn what to look for in properly set jewelry. Become a confident buyer, seller or appraiser by distinguishing an ordinary opal from an outstanding one.

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