Now let me explain pattern. As with most gemstones, flawless opal is tops, but sharp, bright color and pattern can hide any clay inclusions that may lie underneath. Also, creative goldwork done in the setting of an included opal can hide its visual flaws and highlight only clean, top grade opal in the finished piece. Be aware that too much clay and sand in an opal can affect its integrity and strength as does too thin a cut. Your jeweler is the key here.
Every town has a local opalholic jeweler.
Opal is his passion. He knows how to properly set your opal in a finished piece of jewelry. You can recognize him or her by the number of opal pieces he carries and the variety of loose opals he can pull out and show you. Lovely to behold, but a bit on the low side of the value scale. The clearer the crystal, the better the grade.