Tropical precious opal

This gemstone is made of silica with up to 10% of water, but still it is so fascinating! Precious opal is the most desirable variety because it displays the characteristic play of colour effect. However for those of you who do not like the iridescent colours, you can opt for common opal in a variety of colours.

Opal is an amorphous material and is usually cut as cabochon and sometimes as a faceted stone. It is a soft material with a hardness around 6 so please be careful when wearing it on a daily basis. Moreover because it consists of water it should not be left on a hot and dry storage, just because it will be dehydrated and start crackling. Opals are divided into two different categories, the precious opals and the common ones. This time it will be only for the precious opals. The most important locality of precious opal is Australia.The precious opal is the one which presents the play of colour effect when rotating the stone caused by its structure which is made of patches in different orientations. This opal is usually found in white or a dark background. On the photo below you can see a ring in sterling silver (925) metal with 6 cabochon cut water opals by Adina stone.These opals are called water opals, because they display the play of colour effect in an almost transparent and colourless body. You can see the iridescent colours on the video which is uploaded below. Aren't they pretty?

Ring in sterling silver (925) metal with 6 cabochon cut water opals by Adina stone

Sometimes in the market you can find composites of opals, such as doublets or triplets of opals. Those are usually thin slices of natural opals, which are fragile and they cannot be used as single gemstones. Thsu, they are cemented to a backing of plastic, glass or ironstone matrix, which is often black in order to better display the iridescent colours of precious opal. This is the doublet style. When these slices of natural opal are cemented to the top as well with colourless quartz, glass or plastic, then they are triplets. On the photo below there is an opal triplet, cemented to an ironstone matrix on the back and to plastic on the top.

Triplet of opal with an ironstone matrix back and a plastic top and a thin of precious opal in the middle

Apart from the composite stones, you will usually fall into synthetics and simulants. The pair of earrings on the photo below, was bought in New Orleans at the United States of America and it is a pair of synthetic opals in a blue background which also displays a play of colour effect. If you want to find out the difference, the patches of the synthetic opals are more even with a polygonal appearance, resembling lizard's skin.

Pair of earrings with synthetic opals

Styling your opal pieces is not as difficult as it might seem. They do display a variety of colours when you rotate them, however you can wear them with all the colours you like and they will still look pretty. I would suggest you not to wear any other jewellery with gemstones when having some opals on you, because they are so captivating in appearance and it is better if you keep it simple. I like my opal pieces for day outfits, because when the light will be reflected on them, the iridescent colours will be more obvious than they are going to be in the night. After all, its this play of colour effect which makes them unique!