Opal Jewellery

Opal jewellery. There are two varieties of opal, precious and common. Precious opals have an iridescent play of colour within them, common do not. Precious opals are used in fine jewellery and are expensive, and are normally sourced from Australia like the opal triplet or fire opal. Common opals such as those that come from Mexico and Peru, are semi-opaque but are still wonderful to work with, and often have subtle variations of colours from greys through to pink or blue, creams and yellows.

Opal is a hardened silica containing 5 to 20 per cent water. Due to their water content, opals can become brittle and must be taken good care of.  They must not be stored where they can be exposed to heat. Opal jewellery should be worn often to absorb humidity from the air and the wearers skin.

Opal is a Birthstone for Libra September 23rd to October 22nd, along with sapphire.