Unwary customers are paying a normal price for synthetic stones, as their quality improves.

Customers only find out they have been swindled if they take their stone to be valued.

Andamooka opal miner and dealer Peter Taubers said it has been a problem for a while.

“We’ve had visitors come here from Europe and they’ve spent thousands of dollars and didn’t know it wasn’t real,” he said.

“It’s hard to see and people are really being gypped.”

Mr Taubers said there are many different types of synthetic opal being produced.

“They’re trying to entice the younger person into the opal market with all different colours,” he said.

“It’s cheaper to produce and people want a stone that’s affordable.”

The synthetic stones are made from chemicals and and broken into pieces to make them look more natural, then sold.

Andamooka opal miner and co-owner of Andamooka Liquor Store Jim Blackmore said the problem is the stones are being sold with the suggestion it is natural opal.

“It’s not going to go away, but all miners will tell you they’d prefer to see it advertised as created opal or the equivalent of opal,” he said.

Mr Blackmore said if it were labelled “synthetic” it would not be a problem.

“It has the same display effect as real opal and unfortunately it’s being sold as that.”

Mr Taubers said there is not a lot that can be done to combat the problem as no one is policing it.

“That’s why it’s been brought up and we’re tying to publicise the amount that it is around,” he said.