What is a Solid, Doublet and Triplet?
What is a doublet opal? What is a triplet opal? What is the difference between doublets, triplets, and solid opals? What happens when doublets or triplets get wet? Why do some opals go cloudy? How should I care for a doublet or triplet? One of the most basic things you should familiarise yourself with when expanding your education on opal are those partially man made stones known as doublets and triplets. In summary, these stones are slices of opal glued to a black backing, designed to imitate the appearance of a solid black opal. Adhering the slice of opal to a black backing causes the colour to become much darker and more vibrant. However doublets and triplets are generally much cheaper than solid black opal as they only contain a small amount of genuine opal. • A black backing which is made of either black industrial glass, black potch (colourless opal), hard plastic, brown ironstone or sometimes vitrolite. • A thin slice of opal (normally crystal opal or white opal). The thickness
