CRACKED OPAL
Recently we had a member contact us in regards to the associations view on cracky opal. He had purchased an Opal from a miner /dealer in QLD but it had cracks appear very soon after purchase.
The buyer and seller couldn’t agree on a settlement so it ended up in the small claims court in Queensland. We were approached at short notice to give our views and after discussing it with other members we forwarded the attached letter. The judge said it was out of his jurisdiction and no verdict was announced but i believe the case will be appealed .
We may like to consider discussing our views to be included in our code of ethics and what is expected from members if this problem arises.
It has been discussed that a few years ago some Korean buyers we buying cracked stones for around 20% of cost price and i imagine they were treating them.
Last year i mentioned that there is some work being done by a Russian researcher who said he had grown silica in cracked opal. I had lost contact with him but we are communicating now. i hope to send some stones to him and if it is successful we will notify all members of the result.
Kind Regards
Paul Sedawie
President of the Opal Association
Letter:
Re: Natural cracks occurring in Opals
In the Australian opal industry it is expected for a seller to rectify any problems with polished opals that manifest themselves within a short space of time after a transaction.This could be a full refund or replacing with a similar stone or with alternative stone(s) of a similar value that is accepted by the purchaser. When selling to retail stores it is normal to offer a 12 months guarantee against cracking stones. The purchaser however, is liable if they drop the stone or heat the stone in the jewellery making process or display in strong lights which heat the stone, all of which are incorrect handling/storing practices. These however are evident from the stone itself.
We would be happy to examine goods and offer a professional opinion(s) or further advice.