Opal Care

[Tacori E-ring]

What is the proper way to care for opals?

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Hi Tacori-Ering…

Opals are one of the most delicate gems commonly worn. Their most significant weakness has to do with the water content. If an opal is allowed to dry, it will crack and craze.

In most cases, they do not need any special care while stored.
However, if you live in a very dry climate, or keep them in a dehumidified room, some precautions are necessary. Keeping them in a tight plastic bag, with a damp piece of cotton or fabric will prevent dehydration. Being somewhat soft, they scratch easily.
Do not use harsh cleansers on your opals and do not clean opals with ultrasonic cleaners. Never rub oil on an opal, because although it makes the fire brighter it can damage the opal. Some jewelers recommend you periodically soak opals in water to help them reabsorb lost moisture. Opals can be Very heat senstive, so use caution and clean with warm or room temperature soap and water..
With all jewelry use a little common sense and make sure you remove your ring before physical activities like gardening,sports, or hitting your husband on the top of the head for not doing the dishes..(lol).

Also, do not immerse the gem in liquid chemical solutions, like dishwater. Opals are porous and absorb liquids.
Realize that a large component of dust is quartz at 7 in hardness on the Moh’s scale.Opals coming in at at 5.5 to 6 in hardness, simply wiping the dust off an opal can gradually reduce its polish.

The solution is to clean your opals using a soft cloth or brush, a mild detergent, and room temperature water. Then rinse the jewels to remove any residue. Understand that, if you wear an opal ring on a regular basis, it will require occasional repolishing.

This post is not intended to scare you, but opals need extra care and IMHO are proably best suited for pendants or wear for special occasions. Opals display some of the most beautiful colors I have ever seen. Good luck and let us know what your looking at getting

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks Josh! I was asking on behalf of my mom. My grandmother gave her a beautiful (but HUGE!) opal ring that she bought in the 60s-70s. My mom took it to be appraised and he said he was surprised it hadn''t turned to dust

since she said she never took it out of the box and my grandmother only wore it for special occasions and warned her about special care. I am not sure if it was him but two different jewelers told her different things. One said to use baby oil (so I was surprised by your warning), the other said to soak it in a glass of water which she did do. She also has opal earrings that are perfect for a redesign project (my grandmother has slightly different taste than the rest of us

)

Here is a picture of the ring. It is beautiful and the opal has lots of fire but it is a HUGE ring.

 

[conitta]

I love the opal ring with the diamonds around!
I have an opal ring that my boyfriend (later husband) gave me in the early 70''s. It has a large center stone and 2 rows of smaller round opals set in a 14Kt setting with scalloped edges and what looks like I guess enamel in the scallops.It is a very pretty ring but would rather it have some diamonds.I never wear it and haven''t for YEARS...Do I need to do anything to it? I sure would hate to have it turn to dust.That is sooo scarey!

Connie

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 9/23/2006 11:33:32 PM
Author: conitta
I love the opal ring with the diamonds around!

I have an opal ring that my boyfriend (later husband) gave me in the early 70''s. It has a large center stone and 2 rows of smaller round opals set in a 14Kt setting with scalloped edges and what looks like I guess enamel in the scallops.It is a very pretty ring but would rather it have some diamonds.I never wear it and haven''t for YEARS...Do I need to do anything to it? I sure would hate to have it turn to dust.That is sooo scarey!


Connie

I know he freaked my mom out! It is a very pretty ring but I wish it was a tad smaller. Josh mentioned some good tips above. I am going to forward this thread to my mom.

 

[conitta]

Do you have the mm size and the ctw of the diamonds? I saw a ring like that on GSN and it was an estate piece. I am an Oct. baby so Opal is my birthstone. I have some opal and emerald earrings and a pendant to match.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 9/24/2006 12:07:34 AM
Author: Tacori E-ring

I know he freaked my mom out! It is a very pretty ring but I wish it was a tad smaller. Josh mentioned some good tips above. I am going to forward this thread to my mom.

Maybe that jeweler is good with diamonds but s/he certainly knows nothing about colored stones! Tell your Mom she has a very beautiful opal ring and my advice is to find a new jeweler.

I''ve been cutting and selling precious opals for well over 30 years and I think I know quite about about their care. There are a few very simple rules for opals and these are the most important:

1. They break easily, about like tanzanite, so don''t bang them into hard objects. Ideally, they should be mounted in settings that protect them from hard knocks.

2. Don''t allow a jeweler to put them into an ultrasonic cleaner. If opal-set jewelry needs cleaning find a jeweler who uses an ionic cleaning system. It removes dirt and tarnish and is perfectly safe for opals, emeralds and other sensitive stones.

3. Never store them in safe deposit boxes. Bank vaults are dehumidified, preventing papers from mildewing but stopping opals from "balancing" their water content from atmospheric moisture. If you absolutely must use a bank vault, immerse the stone in a small sealed container of water like a pill bottle during storage. If you live in a very dry climate with low humidity, Josh''s suggestion of keeping opals in a sealable plastic bag with some moist cotton is strongly advised.

4. Devote a lot of time to enjoying one of nature''s most wondrous creations! Observing the play of color in a fine opal is one of life''s great pleasures.

Richard M.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 9/24/2006 1:10:10 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 9/24/2006 12:07:34 AM
Author: Tacori E-ring

I know he freaked my mom out! It is a very pretty ring but I wish it was a tad smaller. Josh mentioned some good tips above. I am going to forward this thread to my mom.

Maybe that jeweler is good with diamonds but s/he certainly knows nothing about colored stones! Tell your Mom she has a very beautiful opal ring and my advice is to find a new jeweler.

I''ve been cutting and selling precious opals for well over 30 years and I think I know quite about about their care. There are a few very simple rules for opals and these are the most important:

1. They break easily, about like tanzanite, so don''t bang them into hard objects. Ideally, they should be mounted in settings that protect them from hard knocks.

2. Don''t allow a jeweler to put them into an ultrasonic cleaner. If opal-set jewelry needs cleaning find a jeweler who uses an ionic cleaning system. It removes dirt and tarnish and is perfectly safe for opals, emeralds and other sensitive stones.

3. Never store them in safe deposit boxes. Bank vaults are dehumidified, preventing papers from mildewing but stopping opals from ''balancing'' their water content from atmospheric moisture. If you absolutely must use a bank vault, immerse the stone in a small sealed container of water like a pill bottle during storage. If you live in a very dry climate with low humidity, Josh''s suggestion of keeping opals in a sealable plastic bag with some moist cotton is strongly advised.

4. Devote a lot of time to enjoying one of nature''s most wondrous creations! Observing the play of color in a fine opal is one of life''s great pleasures.

Richard M.

#4 Hits home with me, opals were my frst love as a little girl. I begged my parents for an Opal pendant I saw at our jeweler''s. They gave it to me for Christmas and was beyond thrilled. My mom asked what is so special about this stone?? It was hard to articulate my thoughts, how does one describe something so beautiful?? She never saw it, but I did. It''s all in the eye of the beholder. Mine are sealed in a plastic bag, but rest in a silk pouch... I''m not in a dry climate.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 9/24/2006 12:58:25 AM
Author: conitta
Do you have the mm size and the ctw of the diamonds? I saw a ring like that on GSN and it was an estate piece. I am an Oct. baby so Opal is my birthstone. I have some opal and emerald earrings and a pendant to match.

I don''t. It is getting appraised right now so I will find out once the report is done. I really wonder what the earrings look like. Hopefully she can e-mail me a picture.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 9/24/2006 1:10:10 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 9/24/2006 12:07:34 AM

Author: Tacori E-ring

I know he freaked my mom out! It is a very pretty ring but I wish it was a tad smaller. Josh mentioned some good tips above. I am going to forward this thread to my mom.

Maybe that jeweler is good with diamonds but s/he certainly knows nothing about colored stones! Tell your Mom she has a very beautiful opal ring and my advice is to find a new jeweler.


I''ve been cutting and selling precious opals for well over 30 years and I think I know quite about about their care. There are a few very simple rules for opals and these are the most important:


1. They break easily, about like tanzanite, so don''t bang them into hard objects. Ideally, they should be mounted in settings that protect them from hard knocks.


2. Don''t allow a jeweler to put them into an ultrasonic cleaner. If opal-set jewelry needs cleaning find a jeweler who uses an ionic cleaning system. It removes dirt and tarnish and is perfectly safe for opals, emeralds and other sensitive stones.


3. Never store them in safe deposit boxes. Bank vaults are dehumidified, preventing papers from mildewing but stopping opals from ''balancing'' their water content from atmospheric moisture. If you absolutely must use a bank vault, immerse the stone in a small sealed container of water like a pill bottle during storage. If you live in a very dry climate with low humidity, Josh''s suggestion of keeping opals in a sealable plastic bag with some moist cotton is strongly advised.


4. Devote a lot of time to enjoying one of nature''s most wondrous creations! Observing the play of color in a fine opal is one of life''s great pleasures.


Richard M.

Thanks Richard! I let me mom know all your great advice. She sounded worried when she told me it HAD been in a safe deposit box (without any moist cotton/or water) for years and years. She feel pretty lucky that nothing happened and won''t make the same mistake my grandmother did (but no harm no foul I guess). It is a very firey stone. Lots of colors. Very cool.

Do many jewelers have ionic cleaners? Her jewelry is mostly emeralds (though she never cleans them, sorry mom!

) so that is good information to know.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Lisa, opals are pretty amazing stones. I always heard it was bad luck to wear them if they aren''t your birthstone (which is a silly thought). Do you have lots of opals?

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 9/24/2006 4:59:59 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
She sounded worried when she told me it HAD been in a safe deposit box (without any moist cotton/or water) for years and years. She feel pretty lucky that nothing happened and won''t make the same mistake my grandmother did (but no harm no foul I guess).


Do many jewelers have ionic cleaners? Her jewelry is mostly emeralds (though she never cleans them, sorry mom!

) so that is good information to know.

1. Many opals are very stable and don''t need water in bank vaults, but better safe than sorry.

2. Ionic cleaners are relatively inexpensive and most jewelers should have them. If you find one who doesn''t, advise them to look into Speed Brite products (no affiliation) which are available through most jewelry supply houses. These machines clean but don''t polish. Investing in a quality polishing cloth is a good idea to keep metal shiny. I like the kind that have an inner cloth with jewelers'' rouge for buffing and an outer cloth for final polishing. Many jewelers will have them for sale or give them away as promotional items.

Richard M.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 9/24/2006 5:01:17 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
opals are pretty amazing stones. I always heard it was bad luck to wear them if they aren''t your birthstone (which is a silly thought).

Yes, it is silly but it''s just one of many silly myths about opal. Here''s a short article I wrote for my website on that very topic.


OPALS BAD LUCK? ONLY IF YOU DON’T OWN ONE!

By Richard O. Martin

"October''s child is born for woe,
And life''s vicissitudes must know;
But lay an Opal on her breast and
Hope will lull those fears to rest."
Anonymous


I''ve always been mystified how a stone as full of life and beauty as precious opal could be regarded as bad luck. The only bad luck associated with opal is not being lucky enough to own a fine one, and that''s what I''ve been telling my happy opal customers for nearly three decades now.

Yet a gem that flashes with its own “fires” from deep within was probably destined to be considered “magical” in less scientific times. It’s easy to imagine how it came to be thought to have “powers” and became associated with various popular superstitions in much the same way as black cats and mirrors.

“Anne of Geierstein”

Sir Walter Scott, who originated the historical novel form and authored the classic "Waverly" novels and "Ivanhoe," wrote the 1829 popular book "Anne of Geierstein." In it an opal belonging to the grandmother of the heroine played a major and dramatic role in her tragic death.

Scott’s novel has long been blamed for starting the opal-as-bad-luck myth amongst the impressionable Victorians (who really are responsible for tainting the reputation of garnet, but that’s another tale; see Garnet: It Gets No Respect).

It''s important to remember that Scott, who did careful research, based much of his tale on material from Goethe and earlier writers. His story is set in 1474 and it''s clear that Scott took the opal superstition from an earlier time. The "bad luck "myth originated in the Middle Ages.

Talisman of Thieves?

After years of research I think I’ve found the truth, or a major part of it. Let''s begin with Seigneur Marbodus, Bishop of Rennes in Normandy, who wrote "Lapidarium" about 1075. In it he claimed that opal conferred invisibility on the wearer, who could then steal by daylight without risking being exposed to the dangerous dews of night, according to then-current beliefs.

That was not a ringing endorsement of opal-wearers, especially coming from someone as powerful as a medieval bishop!

Before Marbodus designated opal the Talisman of Thieves, only good things had been written about it. But Marbodus was probably thinking of his own safety because Rennes is in Normandy which was then the dukedom of Robert the Devil, father of William the Conquerer.

Robert the Devil

Robert was a very bad guy and he blamed his evil nature on his mother. The story went that, bribed with opal jewelry, she was said to have given herself to the Prince of Darkness himself and so produced Robert, the heir to the throne. Robert was not happy with his stormy nature and Marbodus probably felt it was politically correct to say bad things about opal given his powerful patron''s beliefs.

Then, from 1347 to 1350 the Black Death ravaged Europe. It has been documented that in Venice during the Plague, someone made the fanciful observation that opals worn by plague victims were brilliant up to the point of death. Afterward they were believed to fade and became lifeless like their owners. During and after the Plague Italian jewelers who earlier had considered opal a favored gem, considered it a badge of dread. It''s likely that the opal "bad luck" in Scott''s novel was based on these two frightening myths.

Unfortunately Marbodus''s slander has endured for the better part of a thousand years. It is constantly given new twists along the way by the imaginative. While there are as many stories about opal bringing good luck in place of bad, somehow they’re not popular.

Opal Brings Luck

One is told about the man who ran the Curio Shop and Opal Store in Sydney, Australia. The owner’s father won 3,500 pounds Sterling with a lottery ticket he bought in 1892 to celebrate a profitable deal in opals. He decided he could now afford a family and fathered a son who later went into the opal business. The son went on to success in opals and later won at least 7 major lottery prizes. He always carried an opal for luck. There are many more such “lucky” opal tales.


Copyright © 2005 by Richard O. Martin

 

[conitta]

Gee maybe I should get my Opals out and my luck would change for the better....Thanks Richard that was very interesting.

Connie

 

[maxspinel]

Date: 9/24/2006 6:43:31 PM
Author: Richard M.

“Anne of Geierstein”

Sir Walter Scott, who originated the historical novel form and authored the classic ''Waverly'' novels and ''Ivanhoe,'' wrote the 1829 popular book ''Anne of Geierstein.'' In it an opal belonging to the grandmother of the heroine played a major and dramatic role in her tragic death.

Wow, thanks for the information. My knowledge on this stopped at the "Anne of Geierstein" novel and I had no ideas the two myths before that.

 

[ladykemma]

opals are hydrated silica gel (like the packets in vitamin bottles that say "do not eat". they have to stay moist to stay pretty. NO oil.

 

[abuopal]

avoid drying OPAL !

Keep it in a good temp. room

i had on which cracked

, it was about 15 ct. and i left it in my office in Saudi Arabia for 2 weeks and when i come back i found it cracked

as u know the temp here is toooo hot

 

[conitta]

Date: 10/6/2006 3:02:43 AM
Author: abuopal
avoid drying OPAL !

Keep it in a good temp. room

i had on which cracked

, it was about 15 ct. and i left it in my office in Saudi Arabia for 2 weeks and when i come back i found it cracked

as u know the temp here is toooo hot

You are doing just fine with your English. My husband and I almost moved there last year for his work...It is toooo hot there for me! ! !

 

[abuopal]

Oh conitta thanks alot.

i hope ur enjoying your time here in Saudi Arabia, i wish u all the best.

by the way iam living in Jeddah

and i have large collection of high quality stones which i buy from thiland, Australia and Malasyia (have a look at my opal

)

thanks for ur positive words about my english