Opal jewelry has a reputation for being fragile but lovely. As a result, many people are tempted to invest in high quality opal jewelry, but they worry about how best to maintain the gemstones and protect their investment. Personally, I think opals are the most stunning gemstone available and the number of opals that I have set into jewelry is more than I can even imagine at this point. Both personally and professionally, my love for these amazing stones runs deep.
As a result, I want to share with you some of the knowledge I have about these stones and ways you can care for your own opal jewelry. Below are some of the main techniques to have in mind when storing or wearing black opal jewelry for example. First of all keep in mind that while opal gemstone isn't as strong as some other gemstones, they are just as durable as most of the emeralds you see around. Surprisingly, emeralds will still chip due to the internal flows that can make them easily damaged by simply cleaning it. Black opal jewelry is not easily breakable and it’s safe as long as it’s properly cleaned. Be careful that the opal gemstone doesn’t run against hard things or knock it around. And, again why knock down such a nice piece of beauty?
Opal gemstone is made of glass like material, which resembles a glass with a few exceptions: The structure gives the reason for its ability to chip or scratch. When wearing Australian opal jewelry for example, always think of the opal jewelry as glass and you will definitely take good care of it automatically. And again, remember although it’s made of the same silica material as glass, opal gemstone is quite different and this is what makes it very wonderful. Imagine you putting a glass of marbles and putting them into a cereal bowl, then filling it with water just enough to cover them.This is a basic visual example of how gemstone opal is made inside it.With time, small balls of silica gather together and layer until it results into a complete stone In-between the microscopic beads of silica is some water. The balls of silica in an Australian opal gemstone are more tightly together than in the marbles in a bowl example and the water is less. Opals gemstone might contain up to about ten percent water.
The water in an opal gemstone in an opal jewelry set is stable; some opal gemstones are logged with water when mined but after several weeks in dry air the stone will crack from due to drying. Quality opal gemstones do not do this. The opals should not change from loss of water over the lifetime of the jewelry. Soaking opal gemstone in water or oil is not needed and comes from old unnecessary rumors.
Cleaning of opal jewelry is easily done with a mild dish detergent at the room temperature. Make use of a very soft brush or your fingers to take body oils and soil off it. Go ahead to rinsing and patting it dry. When cleaning Australian opal jewelry, is when you can check and be sure the stone is secure and tight in the setting.