We are miners and gemstone cutters with mining in Peru and factory
for cutting in Lima Peru. We would like to advise all jewelers and
consumers of Peruvian Blue Opal that there are many many fake beads
and cabs and jewelry presently in the market place.The availibility
of Peruvian Blue Opal has drastically in first quality and
especially superior and premium quality has severely dropped. There
is perhaps at this time August 2008 only 20 to 50 gram of premium
materiasl from any one mine in Peru at best. Many fakes worldwide
exist such as dyed mine run whitish opals with matrix… In addtition
agates are being dyed the colors of peruvian blue opal. Lastly there
is dichroic glass with slag in it and also victoria stone and other
synthetics. It is recommended that people buy from Peruvian miners
and cutters such as ourselves directly with some old stocks. and
some current production. There is very very little if any at any
jewelry store presently in Lima Peru of blue opal and if so such
grades tend to be of low quality.
Currently as well chinese dealers are taking huge stocks of
unstabile chryscolla to China where such is opticoned (glue
enhanced) and sold as turquise due to the color or chrysocolla. Due
to copper mining activity in Peru stocks of blue opal, chryscolla,
opaline (gem silica mixture) and gem silica ( quartz colored by
copper minerals-) chrysocolla are in low supply but peruvain miners
and cutters have some stocks and cutting.Prices for top pink opals
have been rising from ICA,
Some new stones in Peru include chinese writing stone, demurturite,
pink banded rhodocrosite, bubble gum pink rhodonite, leopard stone
(an abracia) with excllent patterns. and black-white serpentarium
nodules are newer finds. We carry all in rough and cut, beads
and.925 jewelry.
In addition, we underatnd via Argentine dealers that stocks of ortiz
rhodcrosite are very few in Argentina with mines running out of such
materials. Thus we and others are selling rough strawberry red ortiz
rhdocrosite as well as cabs, beads, facated beads and,925 sterling
and bead pednants as well.
Anyone wishing to learn more about Peruvian blue opal or Peruvian
Gemstones may contact us offline.
Lee Horowitz, M.Ed, CAGS, Gemologist
Peru Blue Opal Ltd
Horowitz Co-KCIG Co Ltd