How To Buy Opal Jewellery Online And Not Be Scammed

Ever heard the old saying 'If it's too good to be true, it probably is'? With online shopping more popular than ever, ensuring you get exactly what you pay for – and don’t over pay – is top of everyone's mind. We’ve all heard stories of someone buying off an online marketplace or e-commerce website only to receive an inferior or fake product – that’s if anything arrives at all. 

Some of the common questions asked by our customers are: Are your opals real? Will I receive what I pay for? How do I know if this is the best price I can pay? With so many online opal jewellery retailers out there, as well as endless new and second-hand listings on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Etsy and Amazon, it’s hard to know exactly who to trust.

Educting our customers, establishing trust, and ensuring confidence in purchasing natural Australian opals and opal jewellery are high priorities for us (along with providing exceptional products and customer service). So to help you feel more confident with your next purchase, here are our top tips to avoid being scammed.

1. Understand the different types of opal

Knowledge is power when it comes to opals, however not all customers know enough about the 'Queen of Gems', including the difference between a solid, doublet or triplet opal – or that different types of opal even exist! Thankfully there are many online articles out there to educate about this fascinating gemstone and that you will pay more - or less - depending on what kind it is. 

Generally, solid opals are more valuable than doublets and triplets. However pricing an opal also depends on carat weight, size, quality, colour, vibrancy, patterning and, for jewellery, the type of metal setting. Black opals from Lightning Ridge are typically more expensive than white or crystal opals, and boulder opal can be priced high or low depending on the quality.

So when online shopping for opal jewellery, ensure the type of stone is clearly identified - ideally in the heading - and not just listed generically as ‘opal’ or hidden in the product information. If an online retailer fails to do this, make sure to ask exactly what type of opal it is before purchasing. Please also be aware there is a huge amount of fake opal in jewellery being sold today, and this is also usually listed generically, and incorrectly, as 'opal'.

2. Only buy from reputable opal jewellery sellers

With the power of the internet and social media, anyone around the world can retail opal products. And while there can be some amazing bargains and excellent stones to be found, customers need to be aware of who is behind the website or listing, if they are reputable and honest, if the opal jewellery is real or fake, or if you will get what you pay for. 

While most sellers do the right thing, it’s alarming to see posts warning about scammers, uneducated buyers being taken advantage of, and listings with hugely inflated prices, cracked or damaged stones or jewellery containing non-natural opal. Fake opal is sold the world over – even here in Australia - and it can be incredibly hard to discern if you don’t know what to look for. Even experts find it difficult at times to tell if an stone is real from just a photograph.

To ensure you'll receive quality, genuine Australian opal products, we recommend only buying from established and reputable sellers who are ideally Australia-based and have a Google business page with genuine reviews. Also, be wary when buying from online marketplaces, especially when it comes to second-hand jewellery, where what can seem like a bargain could turn out to be stolen, fake or not as described.

So when shopping, remember to ask the questions: How long has the seller been in business? Are they an established opal jewellery seller or just listing a few pieces on Facebook or Ebay? Do they have an e-commerce site with secure payments for buyer protection? Do they have a return and refund policy? Do they offer a range of payment options including PayPal? Is there a bricks and mortar retail store attached to the business as well? Is online customer support available? These questions can help save you money and possibly heartache down the line.

3. It pays to shop around

So how do you know you’re getting the best price? One of the best ways is to research a few opal jewellery websites, and not just purchase from the first one listed in your Google search or the sponsored Google ad, and compare them to familiarise yourself with sellers, prices and products.

When it comes to pricing, one questionable practice we’ve seen some online opal jewellery shops engage in is to run ongoing ‘fake sales’. This is where a large range of products are seemingly on sale but have inflated prices to begin with. So customers believe they're getting a big discount, when in reality they are being misled and possibly still over paying.

Also, beware of valuations that are hyper-inflated or if a seller is using the replacement value to price an item on social media opal sales pages. Typically, jewellery valuations are used for insurance purposes and contain inflated replacement values which do not reflect an accurate resale price. And not all sellers who offer valuations are knowledgeable about valuing an opal, so pricing may be inaccurate. 

We hope these tips help you shop with more confidence and understanding of what to do and ask when buying an opal engagement ring, opal necklace or other piece of opal jewellery. If you have any questions about how to avoid being scammed, please get in touch and we’re only too happy to assist you with your query.