How to Identify Original Opal Stone – Expert Tips

A gemstone like the beautiful Opal stone, which is also called Dudhiya Pathar in Hindi, is a stunning gem that is famous for its ‘fire’ and play of colours. Those amazing flashes of all the colours of the rainbow feel like a tiny galaxy in your hand. Opal stone is connected to the planet Venus (Shukra), and people wear it for love, luxury, marriage, and a better life. But there is a big problem out there because Dudhiya Pathar, being so popular, has led to the market being full of fake stones.

As a common person with little knowledge about gemstones, how can you be sure you are getting a genuine, natural dudhiya pathar that will actually give you the promised benefits? This detailed guide is written just for you. We will share expert secrets and easy tests you can do yourself to spot the difference between a real Opal stone and a fake one. By the end of this blog, you will feel confident and smart like a gemstone expert!

Why is it Important to Identify the Original Opal stone?

You must be thinking, What difference does it make if it's original, as long as it looks beautiful? The difference is huge, especially for something you wear for Opal’s astrological benefits or something you spend your hard-earned money on.

Astrological Benefits Depend on Authenticity

If you wear Opal or dudhiya pathar for its planetary benefits, that is, to strengthen your Venus, or Shukra, the stone must be natural and real. A fake stone made of plastic, glass, or a lab-created imitation will have absolutely no connection to the planet Venus and will not give you any result. It's like taking a fake key to open a real lock, meaning it just won't work.

Value and Investment

A natural, high-quality dudhiya pathar takes millions of years to form inside the earth. It is rare and expensive. A fake stone or a lab-created one takes only a few weeks to get made. A real Opal's value will likely increase over time, and a fake one is just a cheap stone used in jewellery. You deserve to get what you pay for.

Durability and Care

Natural Opal is a delicate stone, but fake ones are even weaker. For example, a fake dudhiya pathar can get damaged, cloudy, or lose its colour if it touches water, oil, or perfume. A real, solid dudhiya pathar is much safer to wear daily with care, of course.

Physical Identification of Original Opal Stone

This is the first and most important step. You don't need any fancy equipment to test the authenticity of a dudhiya pathar. Just your eyes and a good light source, natural sunlight is best!. 

The Magic of Play-of-Colour (The "Fire")

The most beautiful thing about a precious Opal stone is the way it shows brilliant flashes of colours like red, blue, green, etc. when you move it. Gem experts call this the "Play-of-Colour."

The "Snakeskin" or "Columnar" Pattern

This is the biggest secret to spotting a synthetic or lab-made Opal. Look closely at the colour patches. If you see a grid-like pattern, or a pattern that looks like the skin of a snake, which is perfect, small, tiny squares, or if the colours look like straight columns stacked vertically, you are most likely looking at a synthetic Opal. Remember that a real Opal's pattern is always naturally and wonderfully random.

Check the Sides and Back (The "Layer" Test)

A common way to create a fake-looking dudhiya pathar is to take a very thin slice of real Opal and glue it to a cheaper backing material. These are called Doublets (two layers) and Triplets (three layers).

• View from the Side
  

• Real Solid Opal: The stone will look like one solid piece. You will not see any visible lines or layers where one material joins another. The join with the setting metal of the ring or pendant might be a bit curvy or uneven because of the natural shape of the stone.
  

• Doublet/Triplet: You will clearly see a perfectly straight, flat line running all around the side of the stone, indicating where the dudhiya pathar slice is glued to the backing. In a triplet, you might see a second line where a clear plastic or glass cap is glued on top.
  

• View the Back
  

• Real White/Crystal Opal: The back will either be the same colour as the front, that is, white/milky or maybe a little bit of the natural host rock.
  

• Doublet/Triplet: They often have a dark black or grey plastic/glass backing to make the thin Opal slice look brighter. If the back looks like hard, perfectly smooth black plastic, it’s a fake.

Touch and Feel the Surface

Gently rub your finger over the top of the stone. A genuine Opal stone has a unique, slightly waxy or plastic-like and not rough, but not "glassy" feel. If the top of the stone looks too shiny, too glassy, or perfectly smooth like a hard piece of clear plastic or glass, it is probably a triplet with a clear cap on top. Natural Opal is softer and would not have such a perfectly hard, clear surface.

Scientific Tests to Check Original Opal

If the visual inspection is not enough, you can try these simple, careful tests. For complete information, you will need a professional gemologist, but these at-home tests can give you a strong hint.

Magnification Test 

You can use a jeweller’s loupe, which is a small magnifying glass or even the zoom on your phone camera for this. Look for Inclusions or natural flaws in the stone. Real Opals, because they are natural, often have tiny natural flaws. You might see very small, thin lines that look like tiny cracks, or small specks of the original rock, like sand or ironstone trapped inside. These are called inclusions. A stone that is too clean, too perfect, and has zero flaws is often a warning sign of a lab-created (synthetic) stone.

UV Light Test

Ultraviolet (UV) light, which is like blacklight, can make some stones glow, also known as the fluorescence effect. Many natural Opals, especially Australian white Opals, will show a subtle, soft glow (fluorescence) under UV light. Synthetic dudhiya pathar or lab-made Opals often show a strong, dull, or sickly green glow under a short-wave UV light.

However, this test is not 100% conclusive, as some natural Opals, like certain Ethiopian or Black Opals, may not glow much at all.

Refractive Index

Refractive Index (RI) is a technical term for how much a light ray bends when it enters the stone. This test is a simple way to check if the stone has been treated or is a doublet/triplet.

Take a small, clean cup of water and place the dudhiya pathar inside for a few hours. The real Opal stone will remain exactly the same. If the stone is a doublet or triplet and the glue holding the layers has become old or weak, water can seep into the join. This will cause the dudhiya pathar to look cloudy, foggy, or milky, especially along the straight line where the two parts meet. If this happens, your stone is definitely a composite fake.

Caution: This test can potentially damage a doublet or triplet if they are already weak, but it proves they are not a solid, natural Opal.

Certified Gemological Report

You have done all the tests at home, but the one and only way to be 100% sure is to get a Gemological Report from a trusted, independent lab like IDT, GIA, IGI, or a reputable Indian laboratory.

A good lab report will:

• Confirm the authenticity of the stone. The report will clearly state whether the stone is natural Opal or not.

• Give specifications such as the details, like the weight, shape, and colour of your stone.

Always insist on a certified gemstone. When buying from genuine sellers, you are guaranteed to receive a genuine, natural, and certified stone, giving you complete peace of mind. Never buy an expensive stone without a lab report.

Common Types of Fake Opals in the Market

When a seller says "Opal stone," they might be selling one of these. It is important to know the terms and understand the types of Opals in the market.

Synthetic Opal

This is real Opal material, such as silica and water, but grown by humans in a lab in a few weeks, not by nature over millions of years. It is chemically similar to the real thing but is not natural.

How to Spot: Look for the "too perfect" pattern, like the snakeskin or uniform growth structure, such as neat vertical lines of colour when viewed from the side. It also tends to show brighter, more uniform colours than most natural Opals.

Glass Imitations

This is simply glass or a form of hard plastic made to look like dudhiya pathar, often with colourful foil or film inside.

How to Spot: Look very closely with a magnifying glass. If you see tiny, round air bubbles trapped inside the stone, it is most likely a piece of glass. Real Opal gemstone does not have air bubbles. If the stone is damaged, the glass breaks in a curved, shell-like pattern, which is a clear indication.

How to Safely Buy an Original Opal Gemstone

Now that you know how to tell if Opal is real, here is the final advice to ensure a safe and happy purchase:

• Buy from Reputable Sellers: This is the most important step. Purchase only from a well-known seller which offers a money-back guarantee and clear return policies.

• Question a Low Price: Natural Opal is a precious material. If the price of an Opal gemstone is too cheap or seems like an unbelievable deal, it is almost certainly a fake or a triplet. Be smart; value is rarely gifted.

• Inspect Closely: Use the tips from this guide. Check for the layers, look for the pattern that appears "too perfect", and ask to see the stone in good, natural light.

• Demand a Certificate: Make sure the seller provides a certificate from a trusted, third-party laboratory, not just their own small store's paper.
  

Conclusion

The Dudhiya Pathar is a gemstone of beauty and power. But only the original stone can bring you the beauty, luxury, and astrological benefits of Venus. You don't have to be a professional gemologist to buy safely. By simply looking for the random play-of-colour, checking the sides for perfectly straight glue lines, and always insisting on a certified report, you can confidently choose a real, natural Opal stone. Shop smart, wear confidently, and let the magnificent fire of your genuine dudhiya pathar stone light up your life.

FAQs

Do real Opals change colour?

No, a solid, real Opal will not change colour or get cloudy. If your Opal turns foggy or cloudy after getting wet, it is a layered fake (doublet or triplet), and the glue is dissolving.

What is the difference between Natural and Synthetic Opal?

Natural Opal is formed over the Earth's surface over millions of years. Synthetic Opal stone is made by scientists in a lab in a few weeks. Synthetic is not fake, but it is man-made and has very little value or astrological power.

Can Opal be transparent?

Yes, Opal can absolutely be transparent. You can clearly see through it like glass, and the beautiful "play-of-colour" appears to float inside. However, it depends on the conditions in which the Opal stone is grown.