Opal as a gemstone
Since its discovery, the opal has been a highly regarded stone in the world of jewelry, and its value depends solely on two factors that define its beauty: its clarity and its brilliance.
Opal is a hydrated tectosilicate from the group of silicates and is usually classified as a mineraloid, i.e. the "geological material of interest that lacks one or more properties of minerals, in this case: crystalline structure," according to the Institute of Geosciences at the University of São Paulo (IGc-USP).
98% of the precious opals are produced in Australia, with a focus on the city of Coober Pedy. Another one of the largest opal deposits is located in Mexico.
Features of Opal
His composition is similar to that of quartz, from which it differs by water molecules inside. It can be classified into different varieties based on its color, ranging from white, colorless, milky blue, gray, red, yellow, green to brown and black. Its different colors arise from different types of impurities.
Thanks to the interference and diffraction of light passing through the holes in the microstructure of the opal, it is often possible to observe the colors simultaneously, resulting in a phenomenon known as play of color or Bragg diffraction.
It differs from quartz by the water molecules contained within it; furthermore, there are different varieties depending on the color.
His brightness varies from glassy to resinous, it has a hardness between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale, a density between 1.9 and 2.2, and the chemical composition is SiO2. nH2O. Opal can occupy cavities in sedimentary and volcanic rock, where it is deposited from hot springs.
Types of Opal
Some types of opals are highly valued as gemstones, such as milk opal and resin opal.
There are several types of opals, including the most well-known:
- The precious opal: The most common opal and most frequently used in jewelry due to its shimmering luster.
- The wooden opal: It is characterized by containing dark veins and being brown, which gives it the appearance of petrified wood.
- Common opal: yellow, brown-yellow, brown, and black. Waxy luster.
- Prasópalo: green, due to low amounts of Ni.
- The fire opal: with brightness and shades of orange.
- Generous. Similar to fire opal, but in this case colored blue due to copper. It is translucent and opalescent.
- Hyalite: transparent and glassy shine.
- Hydrophane: matte, porous variety that becomes transparent when immersed in water.
- Menilit-Opal. White in color because it is covered by a layer of diatomaceous earth.
Opal jewelry
Opal, known as "the jewel of artists," is a stone with a reputation for having an overflowing energy that hypnotizes, perhaps because it is the only known gemstone that can reflect light rays and transform them into all the colors of the rainbow.
Among the most popular opal jewelry designs are timeless earrings, silver opal pendants, and uniquely designed rings.
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Care and Maintenance
Since the poplar consists of 5 to 10% water, it can lose its natural moisture and lead to drying out. It can also lose its color, which is the essence of these beautiful stones.
Due to its natural origin. Our first step in maintaining the brilliance and vibrancy of our opal is to store it in a dark place when not in use.
Store your opal jewelry in a jewelry box to maintain its luster. A very humid place is better.
If you wear your opal jewelry frequently and have noticed changes in it, you may have observed that it has lost some of its shine over time. This happens because they are very sensitive to direct sunlight. Therefore, we advise you not to wear your opal jewelry if you are going to be in the sun for long periods of time.
Use it also not when you go to a sauna or a water park, as the chemicals in the water can also cause the effect.
Avoid chemicals to keep your gemstone healthy.
This means that if you wear an opal ring, you should remove it when washing dishes or cleaning. They are very sensitive to soap and other cleaning chemicals, which can cause them to turn into dry stone within a minute. Also, when you take a bath, because your shower and bath gels also contain some soap.
These chemicals are very harmful and can permanently damage your opal. This effect occurs because the soap is alkaline and reacts with the water content of the stone.
How can I tell if an opal is real?
The main feature of a real opal is its luminescence. Even black opals can emit blue and greenish hues. They all have a base color that projects flashes of light, or a combination of several colors that form patterns, as is the case with fire opal.
Drehen Sie den Opal auf die Seite und suchen Sie nach geraden Farbsäulen, die vertikal verlaufen. Gefälschte Opale erkennt man daran, dass sich zwischen ihren Schichten eine farblose oder schwarze Platte mit einer dünnen Opalfacette befindet. Dem Stein sind keine massiven Opale nachempfunden, noch haben sie ein schlangenhautähnliches Design in leuchtenden Farben. These characteristics undoubtedly correspond to a false stone.
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