Caring for your opal stone jewelry

 These somewhat fragile but oh so beautiful gems are unique among gems. I took the rough material, cut and polished many opals. I can't count the number of opal stones I've set in jewelry. I love opals.

 

Opal ring advice. Opal is quite safe when properly cleaned and will not chip or break unless badly knocked. You have to be careful not to hit or bump the stone against hard objects. Then again, who wants to knock on some jewelry!

 

Opal is a "glass-like" material, very similar to glass with a few specific exceptions: The glassy structure explains opal's ability to chip or scratch. But even though opal is made of the same siliceous material as glass, it is slightly different, and it is this difference that makes this gemstone so amazing. Fill the bowl with just enough water to cover the balls.

 

This is a simple visual example of how an opal is made inside a gemstone. Over time, the small beads (spheres) of silica join and layer together until a complete stone is formed. There is some water between the microscopic silica beads. Of course, the silica beads or spheres in the opal are much closer together than in the "beads in a bowl" example, and there is much less water. Opal pendant necklace can contain up to about 10% water.

 

The color and fire of the opal comes from groups of quartz balls. The size of the spheres alone determines what light is reflected back into the eye. Some groups are close enough to reflect red light, while others spaced slightly differently reflect blue or green light. The beads scatter light and reflect a certain color depending on the size of the silica beads and the spacing of the beads in the gem. That's where the color comes from.

 

Water in opal is stable, in stable opal! Gem quality opals do not do this. Opal selected for stone cutting has the water content contained in the stone and is proven to be stable and safe. 

 

General care. Here is the rest of the care information. First, think of opal as glass, even if you think it's not glass, it's similar. Keeping this in mind will prevent damage. Cleaning is easy with a mild dishwashing detergent at room temperature. Rinse and dry. This is an excellent time to check and make sure the stone is securely and firmly seated in the setting. Click on the ring next to the ear to hear a slight "rattle" indicating a loose stone.

 

Heat and cold can damage the opal. In general, very sudden and extreme changes in temperature can damage the opal. Daily temperature changes will be safe. Be careful in extreme cases, such as going from a sauna to a frozen pond! Such a temperature change could damage the stone. Everyday wear is safe.

 

I wouldn't jump into a hot shower after coming in from the cold with opals on. Simply remove the ring and keep it out of the bath. This keeps the stone cleaner by avoiding very difficult to clean "soap scum" and potentially dangerous sudden changes in heat.

 

Avoid abrasive products. Abrasives are like sandpaper. Things that scratch glass will scratch opal. Take the ring off if you do a lot of washing, do yard work, fill the sandbox or apply makeup. Yes, makeup is abrasive. Most of the dark streaks people wear from necklaces are from makeup. The very fine particles in make-up are like microscopic sandpaper, abrading the gold so finely that the gold appears black. This is the cause of most of the smudges on the jewelry, the gold rubbed off by the subtle "emery" effect of the make-up.

 

Opal can be scratched by makeup. The scratches will be so subtle that you won't notice them, but they will eventually remove the luster of the stone. Please put on your opals and all jewelry after you finish your makeup, hairspray, or other things that the ladies use. Store jewelry where it will not reflect or rub against other jewelry.

Types of Opals - Which is Perfect For What Type of Opal Jewelry?

 Opal pendant necklaces are striking gemstones which flash with all the colors of the rainbow. They are made from tiny spheres of hydrated silica; silica being the sand constituent that makes up sand! As they form, tiny droplets of water become trapped within the lattice work of spheres in an irregular pattern. The water diffracts light passing into the gemstone, resulting in the magical play of color, known as opalescence, for which this gemstone is famous!

However, not all opals are the same! There are four broad categories of opal, white, black, boulder and crystal, which differ in their translucency and color of the host rock. They also exhibit different levels of opalescence. And although fashion dictates the changing popularity of individual opal types, certain types of opals lend themselves better to some rather than other forms of opal jewelry. So which form suits what jewelry best?

White opals are the most abundant of these gemstones. They have a milky white appearance which can range from near opaque to translucent. The more milk like the backdrop of the host rock, the harder it is to see the flashes of fiery opalescence within. Their beauty is most readily seen in strong direct light. Their pale appearance and relative affordability means that they are often set, as cabochons, into silver metal for everyday pieces of jewelry.

Shop Now: https://australianopaldirect.com/necklaces/

How To Find Authentic, But Inexpensive Opal Jewelry

 Opal jewelry or opal pendant necklace as the British spell it, such as rings, pendants, necklaces make ideal fashion accessories for any occasion. Opals are found around the inland areas of Australia. Opals are a part of the cultural history of these regions. Many of the old opal mines are not producing anymore. Fields such as White Cliffs and Andamooka still have some coming out of the ground but not extensive. In recent times Lightning Ridge has also not produced like it used to. We are all waiting for a new field to be found.

Gold is the most common medium used to set opals in most parts of the world. There is a lot of experimentation with different metals and opals set in silver with rhodium coating (to prevent tarnishing) are gaining popularity by the day. The high price of gold is stimulating this trend because silver is much more economical.

Please note that the spelling of the word 'jewelry' varies between the USA and the UK, where it is spelt 'jewellery.' There is a lot of interesting information about the history of opals and ancient jewelry at this site. Please take a look at the blogs section to see what has been written, ask any questions and make some comments if you feel inclined.

Other articles in the Opal mine series have focused on how to tell if the opal itself is genuine so in this article we will take a look at the metal itself. Keep in mind that a Karat is a measure of the purity of gold. 24karat is pure gold. So each karat is one 24th. So 18 karat means the metal is 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts copper. You can work out the same percentages when referring to 9, 10, 12 or 14 karat gold.

You will need an eye glass to examine the small stamp usually on the inside of the shank of an opal ring, or somewhere else in the case of pendants, bracelets, and earrings.

Shop Now: https://australianopaldirect.com/necklaces/

Opal Jewelry - Why is It So Special?

 Opal can be made into so many different items of jewellery. Sure, we all know that there are opal pendants, opal rings, opal earrings and so on, but opals, as opposed to other stones like diamonds and rubies etc, can be made into special kinds of opal pendant necklace.

There is an opal variety from Australia called Koroit and this is an unattractive type of stone when we compare it to an Australian Black Opal. It is mostly a reddish, dark brown lump of ironstone with slashes of opal running randomly through it. A jeweler cannot do much with that you might think, but simply drill a hole through it and attach a hefty chain or a cheap leather thread and it makes a gorgeous chunky necklace and it looks great on men as well as women.

Then there is boulder opal which often comes as a piece of opal connected naturally to a piece of ironstone or sandstone. The opal stone is undulating and may not have any of the fire associated with gem quality opal but when we look at it closely it has a pattern that might look like a seascape or a view of a mountain range or all kinds of other things. It might be the kind of thing you just like to stare at and imagine seeing all kinds of things in. Try doing that to a diamond! The beauty of a piece like this is that it is not gem quality and is very inexpensive.

I love jewelry like that because not only is it cheap to purchase but when you wear it people ask questions about it and they want to have a close up inspection of it. It is a great conversation starter. You never get people asking you if they can they have a look at your topaz ring. They never say: "Oh, where did you get that ring?" But with a $40 necklace of cheap Koroit or Boulder Opal you will get strangers asking what sort of stone it is and where did it come from.

Then there is one of my favorites Opal Inlay Jewelry. Beautiful pieces of crystal opal are set into the metal of rings, earrings and pendants. The opal is finished off flush with the surrounding metal. We often see this with boring stones such as Onyx and other lame looking minerals with very little color. But, when you make inlay opal jewelry normally you would use high quality opal and the results are fantastic.

You can put nearly any other gemstone next to opal it and it will enhance the piece of jewelry. Opals with diamond accents will always look stunning. Conversely, you can have a pink topaz or emerald main stone with inlay opals on each side and you have a brilliant item of jewelry then.

Shop Now: https://australianopaldirect.com/necklaces/

How To Find Authentic, But Inexpensive Opal Jewelry

Opal jewelry or jewellery as the British spell it, such as rings, Opal Pendant Necklace, necklaces make ideal fashion accessories for any occasion. Opals are found around the inland areas of Australia. Opals are a part of the cultural history of these regions. Many of the old opal mines are not producing anymore. Fields such as White Cliffs and Andamooka still have some coming out of the ground but not extensive. In recent times Lightning Ridge has also not produced like it used to. We are all waiting for a new field to be found.

Gold is the most common medium used to set opals in most parts of the world. There is a lot of experimentation with different metals and opals set in silver with rhodium coating (to prevent tarnishing) are gaining popularity by the day. The high price of gold is stimulating this trend because silver is much more economical.

Please note that the spelling of the word 'jewelry' varies between the USA and the UK, where it is spelt 'jewellery.' There is a lot of interesting information about the history of opals and ancient jewelry at this site. Please take a look at the blogs section to see what has been written, ask any questions and make some comments if you feel inclined.

Other articles in the Opal mine series have focused on how to tell if the opal itself is genuine so in this article we will take a look at the metal itself. Keep in mind that a Karat is a measure of the purity of gold. 24karat is pure gold. So each karat is one 24th. So 18 karat means the metal is 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts copper. You can work out the same percentages when referring to 9, 10, 12 or 14 karat gold.

You will need an eye glass to examine the small stamp usually on the inside of the shank of an opal ring, or somewhere else in the case of pendants, bracelets, and earrings.

· If the metal is stamped '925' it means that its sterling silver

· If its stamped 325 it means 9k gold, either white or yellow

· If the stamp is 585 it means 14k gold either white or yellow

· If the stamp is 750 it means 18k gold either white or yellow

Here are the full details of Gold and silver standards in carats and percentages of 1000

· 24 carat (999)

· 22 carat (916)

· 20 carat (833)

· 18 carat (750)

· 16 carat (625)

· 14 carat (585)

· 10 carat (417)

· 9 carat (375)

Opal Rings

Historically and in the fashion world, rings are by far the most popular form of jewelry and there is no exception to this in the opal industry. Design tastes vary from one person to the other and from one country to another. Some folks like intricate designs that feature the metal with the stone, and some prefer a very plain presentation that makes the opal stone itself stand out.

Opal Pendants are the next contender

It's easier to buy a pendant gift for someone than a ring because you don't have to worry about finger sizes.

Opal Necklaces are just variations of Pendants

They are often larger and more complex than pendants, often featuring many stones either strung along the necklace in the form of beads or hangers, or sometimes presented in clusters that hang much the same as a pendant. Opal necklaces and pendants are the most popular opal jewelry lines sold online for the purpose of gifts because unlike rings, they don't have to fit a particular finger.

Opal jewelry is now available on the internet, but how do you know it's real, and how can you find something for a gift that is not too expensive.

Shop Now: https://australianopaldirect.com/necklaces/

How To Find Authentic, But Inexpensive Opal Jewelry

Opal Pendant Necklace or jewellery as the British spell it, such as rings, pendants, necklaces make ideal fashion accessories for any occasion. Opals are found around the inland areas of Australia. Opals are a part of the cultural history of these regions. Many of the old opal mines are not producing anymore. Fields such as White Cliffs and Andamooka still have some coming out of the ground but not extensive. In recent times Lightning Ridge has also not produced like it used to. We are all waiting for a new field to be found.

Gold is the most common medium used to set opals in most parts of the world. There is a lot of experimentation with different metals and opals set in silver with rhodium coating (to prevent tarnishing) are gaining popularity by the day. The high price of gold is stimulating this trend because silver is much more economical.

Please note that the spelling of the word 'jewelry' varies between the USA and the UK, where it is spelt 'jewellery.' There is a lot of interesting information about the history of opals and ancient jewelry at this site. Please take a look at the blogs section to see what has been written, ask any questions and make some comments if you feel inclined.

Other articles in the Opal mine series have focused on how to tell if the opal itself is genuine so in this article we will take a look at the metal itself. Keep in mind that a Karat is a measure of the purity of gold. 24karat is pure gold. So each karat is one 24th. So 18 karat means the metal is 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts copper. You can work out the same percentages when referring to 9, 10, 12 or 14 karat gold.

You will need an eye glass to examine the small stamp usually on the inside of the shank of an opal ring, or somewhere else in the case of pendants, bracelets, and earrings.

Shop Now:https://australianopaldirect.com/necklaces/

How To Find Authentic, But Inexpensive Opal Jewelry

 Opal jewelry or jewellery as the British spell it, such as rings, Opal Pendant Necklace make ideal fashion accessories for any occasion. Opals are found around the inland areas of Australia. Opals are a part of the cultural history of these regions. Many of the old opal mines are not producing anymore. Fields such as White Cliffs and Andamooka still have some coming out of the ground but not extensive. In recent times Lightning Ridge has also not produced like it used to. We are all waiting for a new field to be found.

Gold is the most common medium used to set opals in most parts of the world. There is a lot of experimentation with different metals and opals set in silver with rhodium coating (to prevent tarnishing) are gaining popularity by the day. The high price of gold is stimulating this trend because silver is much more economical.

Please note that the spelling of the word 'jewelry' varies between the USA and the UK, where it is spelt 'jewellery.' There is a lot of interesting information about the history of opals and ancient jewelry at this site. Please take a look at the blogs section to see what has been written, ask any questions and make some comments if you feel inclined.

Other articles in the Opal mine series have focused on how to tell if the opal itself is genuine so in this article we will take a look at the metal itself. Keep in mind that a Karat is a measure of the purity of gold. 24karat is pure gold. So each karat is one 24th. So 18 karat means the metal is 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts copper. You can work out the same percentages when referring to 9, 10, 12 or 14 karat gold.

You will need an eye glass to examine the small stamp usually on the inside of the shank of an opal ring, or somewhere else in the case of pendants, bracelets, and earrings.

· If the metal is stamped '925' it means that its sterling silver

· If its stamped 325 it means 9k gold, either white or yellow

· If the stamp is 585 it means 14k gold either white or yellow

· If the stamp is 750 it means 18k gold either white or yellow

Here are the full details of Gold and silver standards in carats and percentages of 1000

· 24 carat (999)

· 22 carat (916)

· 20 carat (833)

· 18 carat (750)

· 16 carat (625)

· 14 carat (585)

· 10 carat (417)

· 9 carat (375)

Opal Rings

Historically and in the fashion world, rings are by far the most popular form of jewelry and there is no exception to this in the opal industry. Design tastes vary from one person to the other and from one country to another. Some folks like intricate designs that feature the metal with the stone, and some prefer a very plain presentation that makes the opal stone itself stand out.

Opal Pendants are the next contender

It's easier to buy a pendant gift for someone than a ring because you don't have to worry about finger sizes.

Opal Necklaces are just variations of Pendants

They are often larger and more complex than pendants, often featuring many stones either strung along the necklace in the form of beads or hangers, or sometimes presented in clusters that hang much the same as a pendant. Opal necklaces and pendants are the most popular opal jewelry lines sold online for the purpose of gifts because unlike rings, they don't have to fit a particular finger.

Opal jewelry is now available on the internet, but how do you know it's real, and how can you find something for a gift that is not too expensive.

Shop Now:https://australianopaldirect.com/necklaces/all-opal-necklaces/

The Decadence of Opal Jewelry

 Jewelry is made with all sorts of stones, metals, and jewels. There is

jewelry for men, women, children, and even pets. Almost anyone loves to

get new jewelry, so why not let your next piece be made with opal. You

will feel very decadent and wonderfully unique with a piece of opal

jewelry because of the opals assortment of colors.

Opal Pendant Necklace comes in many forms and fashions. There are bracelets,

earrings, pendants, necklaces, rings, or anything else you crave or need.

The opal, by itself, comes with such unique color. There is the cool

colors, blues, greens, purples, and all the mixtures. Then there are the

warm colors of pinks, reds, yellows, and oranges. One must not forget

the exquisite beauty of the black and also the white opal. No matter

what your heart desire, you can find it with a piece of opal jewelry.

Plus, you can get any other stone or jewel added alongside your opal to

make it stand out even more.

Opal jewelry is perfect present for people who were born in October,

because opal is October's birthstone. Every woman craves jewelry,

therefore you can't go wrong with making it opal jewelry. It is a great

present for anyone, even if their birthday is not in October, because it is

such a beautiful stone and when made into jewelry, the opal can be very

mesmerizing.

There are a few downsides to having opal jewelry. The opal stone itself

is said to be very brittle and can be very easily scratched. Some

people might even find the array of colors to be intimidating. These

negatives are outweighed by the brilliance of color and the variety of shape

that the opal stone can come in, especially when made into jewelry

Please stay with us:

Australian Opal Direct

Address: 5401 Newcastle

Encino CA 91316

Contact Details:

Ph No: 8055749888

Email Id: info@australianopaldirect.com

Website: https://australianopaldirect.com

Opal Jewelry - Why is It So Special?

 Opal pendant necklace can be made into so many different items of jewellery. Sure, we all know that there are opal pendants, opal rings, opal earrings and so on, but opals, as opposed to other stones like diamonds and rubies etc, can be made into special kinds of jewelry.

There is an opal variety from Australia called Koroit and this is an unattractive type of stone when we compare it to an Australian Black Opal. It is mostly a reddish, dark brown lump of ironstone with slashes of opal running randomly through it. A jeweler cannot do much with that you might think, but simply drill a hole through it and attach a hefty chain or a cheap leather thread and it makes a gorgeous chunky necklace and it looks great on men as well as women.

Then there is boulder opal which often comes as a piece of opal connected naturally to a piece of ironstone or sandstone. The opal stone is undulating and may not have any of the fire associated with gem quality opal but when we look at it closely it has a pattern that might look like a seascape or a view of a mountain range or all kinds of other things. It might be the kind of thing you just like to stare at and imagine seeing all kinds of things in. Try doing that to a diamond! The beauty of a piece like this is that it is not gem quality and is very inexpensive.

I love jewelry like that because not only is it cheap to purchase but when you wear it people ask questions about it and they want to have a close up inspection of it. It is a great conversation starter. You never get people asking you if they can they have a look at your topaz ring. They never say: "Oh, where did you get that ring?" But with a $40 necklace of cheap Koroit or Boulder Opal you will get strangers asking what sort of stone it is and where did it come from.

Then there is one of my favorites Opal Inlay Jewelry. Beautiful pieces of crystal opal are set into the metal of rings, earrings and pendants. The opal is finished off flush with the surrounding metal. We often see this with boring stones such as Onyx and other lame looking minerals with very little color. But, when you make inlay opal jewelry normally you would use high quality opal and the results are fantastic.

You can put nearly any other gemstone next to opal it and it will enhance the piece of jewelry. Opals with diamond accents will always look stunning. Conversely, you can have a pink topaz or emerald main stone with inlay opals on each side and you have a brilliant item of jewelry then.

Opals can be inlayed, prong set or bezel set. They can be glued in place where as other stones will not appear attractive this way.

One comforting aspect of opal jewelry is that the stone will be mined by lonely men or husband and wife teams living in harsh conditions in outback Australia. There are no big companies involved and there is no forced labor here. It is a labor of love. Think about the cutting of rubies and other stones which is often done by children who should be at school. I am an opal cutter and although it is labor intensive I enjoy doing it and I have never met an opal cutter who is not passionate about opals so there is a kind of love attached to these stones all the way through from the man underground in the middle of nowhere to the wife or enthusiast carefully cutting and polishing the stone.