Looking for a good deal on Opals

[Penguin69]

:D Hello, I'll be in the Eastern Caribbean Sept 19th and I'm trying to find the best place to purchase opal leverback earrings in 14kt gold. Any suggested on where I may be able to purchase a pair? The Ports I'll be visiting are: San Juan, Puerto Rico; Phillipsburg (St. Maarten); St. Thomas, USVI and Nassau. Would it be cheaper to just get the stones there and have them set here in the States or just purchase the earring in one of the port Jewerly stores?

 

Thank you and happy cruising to all

[imsulin]

Mexico and South America are actually the best places to buy opals....that's where they're mined. (Except Russia, I think). However, St. Thomas or St. Maarten would be your best bet, and NO - it is NOT cheaper to buy a loose stone and have it set at home! It will cost you plenty for a customized setting (to fit the size of the loose stone), and you'll pay a lot more for the setting at home (gold, silver, etc.) than you would if you bought a pre-set piece of jewellry.

[bibb]

A number of jewelers in St. Thomas will sell you loose stones and set them in the setting of your choice in about an hour or shortly over that.

[imsulin]

Excellent advice, bibb! Yes - have your stone set while you're there...you can avoid the exhorbitant luxury taxes you'd have to pay back in the States.

[Penguin69]

Thank you Imsulin and Bibb for the helpful advise. I'll be checking out the jewelry stores while I'm there. Do they usually give you the best prices or do you have to talk them down in prices?

[imsulin]

Some stores will bargain with you, and some won't. Just make sure you get a good quality opal from a reputable store like Cardow's or AH Riise in St. Thomas. A good thing to do would be to price opals (set and unset) at your local good jewellry stores before you go, so that you have something to compare with price-wise. The big difference is that you don't pay any taxes on an item under $1600.00 (I think that's right) on St. Thomas, and under $800.00 on St. Maarten (because it's not a US territory). Good luck!!

[elmorejj]

Its a shame you aren`t going Western Carib. I love opals...my birthstone....and I have found the best prices in Mexico. I`m in love with the blue opals right now....exactly the color of the Carib. sea. I have a beautiful ring set with a nice size blue opal and a lot of 14ct gold and I only paid $200 in Mexico. At a port in the Eastern Carib. I was quoted $800 for a ring about half the size. Definitely bargain with them, they will bring the price down to make a sale....jean :cool:

[Slinkiecat]

Don't they mine opals in Australia? I always thought they did. Anyway, I just got a brochure from a friend in Oz where we are stopping on our world cruise, and it has an ad for the most beautiful blue and blue-green opals I've ever seen. The Australian dollar is worth about .70 US, so I imagine the prices on those beauties is reasonable. My birthstone is also the opal, and I have a matched set of necklace, earrings and ring from my sweet husband, but I may be able to talk him into some blue ones too.

 

Slinkie

[Penguin69]

Hello Slinkie, I was wondering does your friend have a web site that maybe I could visit or would there be a way to send me a brochure of what they have along with the cost? I've been looking at the jewelry stores here in Illinois so I can get an idea of the prices of blue/green opals. I'm looking for blue/green opal in 14kt leverback earrings. I would love to see an many as possible before I go or even after I come back from our cruise. If I see "IT" I'll know it's the one for me-know what I mean?

 

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[NewCruzer1]

Don't they mine opals in Australia?

 

Yeah, they do. That's where the best buys are, as well as the best opals. I bought a big Quilpie in Armidale, NSW, at a local rock shop back in 1991, and had it mounted there for about $180 U.S. It has since been appraised at about $1,800 here.

There may be good buys in the Caribbean -- and getting there is certainly cheaper -- but if opals are REALLY your thing, save up and go to Australia.

[Slinkiecat]

Hello Slinkie, I was wondering does your friend have a web site that maybe I could visit or would there be a way to send me a brochure of what they have along with the cost? I've been looking at the jewelry stores here in Illinois so I can get an idea of the prices of blue/green opals. I'm looking for blue/green opal in 14kt leverback earrings. I would love to see an many as possible before I go or even after I come back from our cruise. If I see "IT" I'll know it's the one for me-know what I mean?

 

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Here is some info from the ads in the Sydney Shopping Guide I got:

 

The National Opal Collection - email: info@nationalopal.com

website: www.nationalopal.com

 

Another ad with beautiful blue opal jewelry gives this link: www.opalfields.com.au

 

They should have some literature to send you or pictures online. Hope this is helpful.

 

slinkie

[elmorejj]

Australia AND Mexico are the primary opal centers in the world. The blue/green opals along with the red/orange fire opals seem to be very popular right now. I`ll be back in Mexico for 2 weeks at the end of Sept. and I`ll be on an opal hunt!!......jean :cool:

[Slinkiecat]

We'll be stopping off in Mexico too. I thought most of the jewelry was silver rather than gold in that country, but it will be interesting to see what the jewelers are selling in Mexico.

 

slinkie

[elmorejj]

Just be careful where you shop. Where in Mexico will you be? The prices on the Pacific side were riddiculous, much cheaper on the Carib. side.....jean :cool:

[Slinkiecat]

Our Mexican stops will be Santa Cruz Huatulco, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo (Ixtapa), Manzanillo, and Puerto Vallarta. I assume the last two are on the Pacific side.

 

Some ports will be better for water activities, and others for shopping or sight-seeing. A couple of other CC members may join us on a few of the excursions if we can coordinate them. That's the fun of these boards. So many great people here.

 

Slinkie

[Trevoli]

Santa Cruz Huatulco, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo (Ixtapa), Manzanillo, and Puerto Vallarta

 

aren't ALL those ports on the Pacific side?

 

T

[Slinkiecat]

Yes, they do come AFTER we go through the Panama Canal. I don't remember my geography very well. Should have checked before I assumed anything. Thanks for noticing that.

 

Anyway, I was planning to do my jewelry shopping in Australia, so we'll just hope for some interesting excursions on the West Coast of Mexico.

 

Slinkie

[MBeamTX]

The National Opal Collection -

website: www.nationalopal.com

I highly recommend going to this web site, clicking on "Opal Types" from the left menu, then selecting "Other Types". Scroll down and read about "doublets" and "triplets" before you go opal shopping, particularly if you are planning to shop for black opal. A lot of black opal out there is not natural black opal. Instead, it's a composite doublet or triplet. They're beautiful, but nowhere near as valuable as a natural black opal. If the stone is unmounted, you can definitely if it is a composite, but probably not if it's already set. Just be sure of what you're buying, so you can make a knowledgeable decision about price. I'm not a gemologist and claim no special expertise. I'm just a jewelry addict. :D

 

Happy cruising and shopping,

Susan

[mr green]

Buy mounted stones. Also check the stones in poorer light, most opals look great under bright lights.I purchased a loose stone in Mexico, in hopes of getting it mounted as a tie tack. Quotes were about $600.00! Since I know a little about opals,I mounted it myself, for $7.50! Two little bottles of paint, black, and gold, and a tube of super glue. One trick with an opal is to make sure that it is BLACK, on the back! The gold paint was to touch up a tack that I cut down so that my flat black- based opal would cover it. It is eight years old and I wear it every week.

I live close to the only mine in Canada, and, nine years ago I paid $35.00 to go through the tailings. I was in a party of 20, who found nothing,except for myself. A rock wieghing about a ton, had been put in the wrong place. Words can't discribe what it feels like to find over 30 carats of high grade opal! I have one 5 carat pendant, my daughter has a set of ear rings, and my wife also has a large pendant. Some remain in the original rock, other blood reds lightly polished, but still in rock.

A quick word about the stone. Opals are 'living', and may change colour,usually for the better. There are minute quantities of water in them so,do not let them dry out. You should rub the stone in your fingers, natural oils from your skin will keep an opal 'moist'.:) Good hunting. john taylor.