Loose opal at auction in Australia
Opal is Australia's national gemstone and the country remains the reference source for black and boulder opal. It is graded on play of colour rather than on clarity, which puts it outside the vocabulary used for every other stone in the catalogue.
The material matters as much as the colour. Solid opal, doublets and triplets are three different things at three different prices, and the distinction is stated on every lot rather than left to the photograph.
What to look for in opal
- Whether it is a solid stone, a doublet or a triplet.
- The colour play across the whole face, not only at the angle it was photographed from.
- Body tone, which is the dark-to-light scale opal is graded against.
What opal has sold for at Teals
We have not sold opal at auction yet. When we do, every lot and the price it realised will be listed here. The full record book carries every session we have run.
Opal open for bidding
No opal is on the block at the moment. The saleroom opens at 7pm AWST, and the session board lists every catalogue you can browse and bid on early.
Reading on opal
Why natural still matters, when a lab can print a diamond for a fifth of the price
Lab-grown stones are real, and they have a place. But a printable thing has no scarcity, and scarcity is where a stone holds its value.
Eye-clean, or included
Why coloured stones do not use the diamond clarity scale, and how we grade with two honest words instead of ten misleading ones.