Opal Care
Caring for Opal Jewelry
There seems to be much confusion about the proper way to care for and clean opals and opal jewelry. Here’s a simple guide that will let you preserve your beautiful opals and keep them looking their best. Opal jewelry like this needs to be cared for.
Buy quality stones from a knowledgeable dealer or jeweler, preferably someone who is a cutter. Now this may sound like strange “care” advice, but the stone you purchase is as important as the care you give it. Here’s why. Many jewelers don’t know one opal from another, and cannot offer you the right opal care advice. If you know what you’ve got…you can know how to look after it.
Can I put my opals in water? Yes, there is no problem in doing this, but if the stone is an opal doublet or triplet, it would be unwise to leave it in water (particularly hot water with detergent..as in washing up water) for long and extended periods of time. The opal triplet I gave my sister was used in all sorts of situations and was still going strong after 15 years of constant use…but this is not recommended for triplets and doublets as it may affect the cement that holds the protective crystal cap on the stone. Of course in the case of solid opals, hot water or detergent or oils will not effect them.
How do oily substances affect an opal? If you mean wearing it under the car when you change the oil or pack the wheel bearings, …the oil won’t soak into the stone or hurt it in any way,…but the grime and the possibility of scratching it would be the biggest problem. However, oily hand and face creams will not hurt the stone, except that it may build up around a ring and make it look unsightly.
What should I do to avoid damaging an opal? Don’t wear it doing the gardening, because the sand or soil may take the polish off the stone, or, if you get too energetic, you could smash the stone against a rock,…and opals don’t like being treated that way. (Neither would you nor I).. And of course, there is the chance that the gold or silver claws will be damaged, and you could loose the stone altogether. Take it off if you are doing any sort of work that could bring the stone in contact with hard surfaces. A flick of the wrist in the wrong direction could chip it.
What do I do if my stone loses its polish or becomes scratched? Now, this is why we suggest that you buy from people who cut the stone. For example if you get a stone from the opals.co site , and you damage your stone, in most cases it can be re-polished very cheaply. If you have stones already that need repolishing, contact us for instructions.
How do I store my opals for long periods of time? Generally it’s safe to store them away, as long as the area is not overheated. It’s not a bad idea to put them in a sealed plastic bag with a little water in case of drying out. Don’t store them for long periods of time under hot lights, as this could crack the stones if the heat builds up and is magnified in a showcase.
Some common sense opal care advice.
This advice comes from my wife Renate’s personal experience. She was sporting a beautiful blue boulder opal, about 4 carats in size, mounted in nice 18k gold, surrounded with diamonds. Worth around $2000. On the way back from the snowfields one year, she went into the ladies room at a fuel station, and after washing her hands with soap and water, she wiped them on a paper towel, and at the same time, pulled off her ring and threw it into the waste paper basket…and didn’t even notice it till we got home, about 1000 km’s up the track. This problem is more pronounced for people who have rather straight fingers with little or no enlarged knuckle. You just have to have a little extra hand cream on, and it will slip right off. ..so just be conscious of it.
Caring for Jewelry with diamond accents.
If you have accompanying diamonds with your opal jewelry, in the case of rings particularly, the diamonds become very dull after a while, even if you’ve given the ring a clean. The main reason for this is that many people only clean the front of the ring and not the back. So…just poor some pure wash-up detergent into the back of your ring, and scrub it from the inside with a soft toothbrush in hot water. The diamonds will sparkle again, and it will not hurt the opal as long as you don’t do it all the time.
Check your jewelry. Inspect your jewelry regularly for claw damage. You can do this yourself if you have a magnifying glass. There’s not mystery to it. If you can see that the claw is loose and the stone moves a little, it’s good to get something done about it. If you hold the item up close to your ear and rattle it, if the stone is very loose you can hear it. If you want to be sure about it, talk to your jeweler.
Cleaning. Any paste or fluid designed to polish brass, will also polish gold or silver. Just use a soft rag, apply the paste, and polish it off. After that, pour on a few drops of household detergent, give it a scrub with a fine toothbrush and wash it off under hot water. This will bring the gold back to what it was like when you purchased the jewelry.
Also, on the subject of opal insurance…If you think your opals are insured under your household policy, make sure you have a good talk with your broker or agent. Ask the following questions.
Securing and Insuring your Opals.
House security: A good addition to every home is a deadlock. Usually they cost around $50 per door, but the money is well spent, if you install them on all external entries. An experienced thief can pick these locks too, but it is not likely as there are too many other locks that are a snack to open. If you have a room in the house where you put your valuables, put a deadlock on the internal door as well. Your insurance company will give you a smile of approval for this initiative, and probably a healthy discount too, that can go toward the cost of the locks….See your broker for negotiations along this line.
- How much coverage do I have for any one item?
- Do I need to give you a list of all my jewelry items?
- Do you require extra money to make sure expensive items are covered?
- Is my jewelry covered outside my home?
- Am I covered if I lose something?
- What documentation do you require if I file a claim?
- Will you accept my purchase invoice or receipt as proof of value or do I need to get an official appraisal?
- How much do you suggest I insure an item for in case the replacement costs more than I paid for the original?
By Giving a little forethought to your purchase and by applying the suggestions in this opal care section, we are confident that you will get many years of service from your jewelry. If you need any advice in this regard, please dont hesitate to leave a message on this blog.
I was told by a patient of mine that if your opal gets dull and doesn’t “spit fire” any longer, you should put it in the freezer and this would cause it to spit fire again. Is this true?
Jeannie, well it wont hurt the opal, but it won’t help it either. The first thing you have to do is identify what sort of opal you have. if it is a triplet, it will have a crystal cap protecting the stone. this is the main reason why opals become whiteish and lose their color. if the cap has moisture under it there’s not much you can do about it. whether putting it in the fridge or not will dry out the moisture, i have no idea. But if the stone is a solid opal and it has lost its gleam, it just needs a re polish. best idea is to take a shot of it with a macro camera and send it to me. i should be able to tell what you have and give you some further advice. just leave a message for me in the contacts form of www.opals.co and i’ll do what i can to help. Best wishes Jeannie, Peter
Jeannie, i just sent you a reply in the encyclopedia chat. i think it would be good if you sent me a pic of your opal and i will take a look at it to make sure of what you have. I’ll ask Wes, the site manager to let us know the best way of doing this. peter
Will swimming in salt water hurt my solid opal pentant necklace? I will be in the water 1 hour, twice a week for an aqua exercise class. Thanks.
Hi Beverly! No, the water won’t hurt your stone if its a solid opal. The only thing to check is that your pendant and its chain are either solid silver or gold, and not plated. Not that the water will hurt these much anyway but if you are swimming in chlorinated water it could in time. Also be careful that you have a strong chain because flopping around in water or indeed any other activity could break the chain and result in losing the whole pendant. Hope this helps. Peter
I have a black opal that has turned milky looking, but when put in water it turns back to black. A jeweler polished it to see if the surface could be cleaned. She then told me that I was not real, was probably made from pieces and acrylic. Would that be the case if it changes color in water? How can I be sure it is real or a fake?
Anita it sounds like you have an opal triplet which is real opal but has a crystal cap on top. If you wear this opal a lot in washing up or in the shower, the cement that holds the crystal cap can go white and eventually the cap will come off. when you put it back in water, probably the water fills in the cavity and it turns black again. The only thing you can do is either replace the opal with a new triplet, or buy a real black opal that wont go like this. if you want me to replace the opal you will have to send it to me here in Australia. There is a chance that i can repair the existing opal but i wont be able to tell till i see it. Peter
I have already read all of this. I contacted you to find out how to polish the opal or if there is anything else I can do. I need instruction on how to polish an opal. The opal in the ring is a solid opal.
Sorry about that! There used to be a paragraph in this section with basic opal cutting procedures but it has been taken out in the site upgrade. We are going to install a link to this article from that section but in the meantime i will email you two articles. One that explains how you can do it by hand without machinery, the other if you want to learn it professionally. Hope that will help you. Peter
I got an opal ring from my grandmother after she passed away; how can I tell if it is a triplet or a doublet?
Alexander, you can start by going to this page in www.opals.co : http://www.opals.co/opal-information/solids-doublets-and-triplets/ You will notice that a clear description is given of the different ways opal is manufactured. I can tell from just looking at the opal whether its an opal triplet or a solid opal but you will need to be able to see the opal from the side and if its in a setting that hides the side, this might be difficult. if you have a macro camera, take a shot of the opal from the top and the side if possible and load it into this blog and i will see if i can identify it by the picture. hope that helps. Peter
Hi, I am trying to learn more about opals. I know about the doublets, and triplets, and I think the opal bracelet I have has doublets, as it appears to be only 2 layers. The thing that puzzles me is I can see tiny bubbles on the top, what types of caps are used on opal doublets, and how do they affect the price? I would not think a crystal cap would have tiny bubbles, do you think it is plastic? Also is there such a thing as a synthetic opal, made like nature, but lab created? If so how can I tell if mine is natural or synthetic?
Martha, clear crystal caps are often cemented to opal for protection of the stone and sometimes small bubbles can develop under the cap. It can happen too with doublets when the back of the opal is cemented to either black opal potch or brown opal ironstone. I wouldnt be concerned about it unless you start to lose opal color and this may mean that the cap is lifting. Yes, there is such a thing as lab produced opal. It can either be plastic based or grown naturally in a laboritory. We dont deal in any synthetic opal. We always stick the natural opals so that our customers can be assured that they are getting the real thing. Hope that helps. Peter
I recently purchased a solid opal ring with an antique white gold setting. The opal is rather milky and the and the “fire” does not show as clearly as it should. Can I polish it myself without having to remove the opal?
Thanks for any help you can give me!
I have a beautiful filigre antique ring with a solid opal setting. The ring opal shows a lot of wear, chipped and very milky surface that needs repolished and shined. Can you tell me how I can do this myself?
Many thanks!
Judy, i see you have asked this question before about opal repairs. somehow i must have missed it. sorry about that. anyway,. please go to http://www.opals.co/?p=2348&preview=true and read an article i have just posted on opal repair on this site. have a read first then come back to this forum if you need some more suggestions. Always pleased to help. Best wishes and hope we can get your opal looking like new again, Peter
Hi…Are you sure about all the info you gave? I have read elsewhere that extreme cold may crack an opal, yet you answered someone that they could put it in the freezer. Also, the ok in salt water answer…I have read only distilled water…also, the only oil for an opal is glycerin, and other oils can harm an opal….Anyway, I am not questioning you, but rather am confused. Sharon
Sharon thanks for the question. its a good one and it will benefit all readers of this blog. Well, I’ve been cutting Australian opals for around 40 years. In recent years with the development of white water based glues we havnt had to use the refrigerator but for a long time we had to heat the stone up to hold it on to a dop stick using sealing wax, then put it in the freezer to shrink the wax and release the stone. I have never had an Australian opal break in this process. If an opal is of poor quality from a mine that produces stones with to high water content, it will crack without doing anything to it. Some people have put opals away in a safe for a few years and found them to be shattered. This happens particularly with opals that come from mountains or coastal areas like some parts of Australia and particularly Africa and Nevada in the USA. These opals will crack as soon as you apply just a little heat on them. I believe that some have not cracked but mostly they have to be kept in water. But Australian opals from known fields are extremely hardy. The only thing you have to keep in mind is not to wear them where they could be scratched or broken against a rock or a brick wall. Opals can shatter, and incidentally, so can diamonds, but generally speaking, no problems with hot, cold, oil, water, acid, or anything else you can throw at them. (There may be some acids that could tarnish them so don’t try that) but normal treatment is fine.
Thank you so much for your thorough reply clarifying questions I have about opal care. You are an expert with your years with opals, and I am so glad to have your input.
I would also like to ask: Is there a way to revive the fire in a large white opal that appears now dead of fire? Also, how do you polish out tiny surface scratches and bring back the surface shine? (jeweler’s rouge?) Thanks again for answers when you have time…
No problems Sharon. It’s a pleasure to be of help. The end of year rush is just about over now so I have a little time to spend chatting. I should have mentioned in my previous comments that there is always an exception to the rule. There have been times when a stone has cracked in the process but this is an example of an opal from a cracky mine and at times they get mixed in with the good ones. But putting them through some rough treatment quickly separates them so that customers are not landed with the problem. In regard to your white opal that has lost its shine. It must be a ring because pendants and other jewelry usually don’t have that problem. It only happens when a ring is worn over a long period of time, perhaps in the garden etc, like I wear mine. If this is the case, it’s easy to shine it up. if you don’t have opal cutting machinery, you can fix it with some wet and dry sandpaper from the hardware store. Get grade 600 and rub out the scratches. Might be an idea to get some 1000 grit or 1200 grit as well to bring up the polish more. If you know someone who is a panel beater, they will know what I am talking about. But you will then need either some cerium oxide or tin oxide to finish the polish using a cotton cloth. (An old pillow slip or sheet would be fine) to take a look at the whole procedure, just click here. I think ive mentioned 700 or 800 grit sandpaper here. it doesnt matter that much. Do a google search to see if there is a lapidary supply shop in your area so you can buy some tin oxide or cerium oxide. you only need a very little. if you have trouble getting it, just let me know on this forum and i will post you a little in an envelope. No charge. Pleased to help.
I appreciate your time and information so much! I am now wondering…Do you have a website for a business on the web whereby you receive opal jewelry by mail for repair? I have three opal rings needing attention..one of them for restoration of fire if possible, and the other two for just surface polishing. There presently is not a lapidary in our “capital” city..With your instructions, I am not sure if I want to attempt this on my own..Sharon
(I think I wrote this reply to your former post…I meant to answer to the latest post about using the sandpaper, etc.) Thank you, Sharon
Sure Sharon, we can fix all three rings here. Unfortunately by the time you pay registered mail back and forth it will cost you maybe $120 including gold or silver restoration. but we usually include some little gift with each parcel. perhaps an opal pendant to ease the pain costs a little. Keep in mind that whenever you seek to repair anything, there is always the risk that something will go wrong and we cannot guarantee that. having said that we have an almost 100% record of results over the years. Not wanting to scare you but its worth reading the letter posted by a Cindy, a Canadian customer here. Haa.. this episode was totally unique.
very helpful and quick to respond… Spoke with Peter back and forth on the web, peter was very knowledgeable about the stone and his suggestions worked great. my stone is brighter and the colors more vivid.
Kelly B
Kelly sorry for late recognition of your nice comments. Really appreciate you taking the time to let folks know about your experience with us. very best wishes, Peter
When my husband purchased me an opal for my birthday he was told that I needed to put a drop of oil on it every 6months or it would crack? Do I really need to do that? Or just clean it with water? So confused,
Thanks
Leah, there are all sorts of ideas going around about opal and for that matter, other gemstones. The fact of the matter is that if you have a piece of Australian opal from a reliable field, you dont have to do anything with it except make sure you dont wear it roughly in the garden or somewhere where you might bang it against a wall or scratch it. If you have a cracky opal from a bad field, there’s nothing much you will be able to do about it. it will crack unless you keep it in water all the time. just post a picture of your opal on this site and i will take a look to see what type of opal you have. best wishes, Peter
My new opal is clalled a Lab Opal with Sapp. What is care and cleaning?
Pamela, please ask your supplier to tell you what a lab opal is. you need to know these things before buying. i already know of course but it would be interesting to hear what they have to say. Peter
sorry Pamela, just noticed this other blog. Yes, i would say the same thing applies to lab opal. just dont wear it in the garden where you could scratch it. peter
Just testing this forum to make sure its working ok. thanks everyone for your comments. Peter
Does this all apply to lab created opal as well?
Tara, just clarify the question a bit more regarding lab opal. will be happy to make some comments. peter
Tiara, we have had a few technical problems in the blog of opalmine.com and i am just checking on some comments made. sorry for not getting back to you sooner very best wishes Tiara, Peter
Tara, we have had a few technical problems in the blog of opalmine.com and i am just checking on some comments made. Many apologies for not getting back to you earlier. please comment again if you would like. very best wishes, Peter
We purchased a nice opal ring locally. The ring and the three opals in it seemed fine when we got it. After less than a year cracks began forming on 2 of the opals. At the store they say that it basically would have to be cause by carelessness and my wife does not do anything that could damage it. The opals are very thin and we wondered if it was possible that because of the design that it was at high risk for cracking. I do not know what type it is but the color is intense blue with some green, probably a black opal. Thanks.
Brad, if possible, send me a picture of the ring. you can post it on this forum. i will do what i can to help you. Sounds to me like the jeweler is trying to fob you off. thats no way to run a business. you will need to use a digital macro camera. maybe even your phone camera will do if you have one. keep in touch.
Also, one opan began it chip.
brad, not sure what you mean by this, but anyway like i said. send me a picture and let me know if you need help with photography. just make sure you do it with a black velvet background if possible, or black cardboard or material if not velvet and also make sure that you dont allow too much light. put some strips of white paper around the base of the ring away from it so that the black area will sourround the ring. i will clean up the image for you for free. no obligation. pleased to help if i can
Hey there! I bought an opal, australian opal I believe.
it was beautifully blue and green, very bright and very powerful
and then I looked into to opal care via google and it told me to soak it in water ( so I did )
and first it lost ALL colour, went brown and then it healed and became light blue/ white.
then one day I went in the ocean, it lost its color and once again.. it changed colours to green.
Now it’s permanently brown.
and I don’t know what to do to help it heal.
Do I put it in water again and then let it dry inside a box with no light?
Natalia, best idea is to send me a good close up picture of your opal for a start. i will take a look at it and give you my opinion, no problems. I will send you an email so you can reply direct. best wishes, Peter
Hi,
I recently purchased a pair of opal earrings. They are Ethiopian opals and they were put into a sterling regular post setting. They are about 2 months old now and I noticed today that there is a pretty significant chunk in th back of the setting that seems like it has chipped completely off. It looks as though its being held on by only the setting, but I am afraid to remove it and confirm, if that is the case.
It was purchased from a shop that is originally in Florida and I am in Maryland so it’s not really possible for me to go to them for a repair. Is there anything I can do? Is it possible to repair aiding chunk of opal? Are Ethiopian opals known for brittleness? I just don’t know how it could’ve cracked because they obviously haven’t been harshly treated since they’re in my ears and I haven’t taken any blows to the head!
The only other thing I can guess is that if they were chipped when I got them and I didn’t notice, or that the setting was put on way too tight.
Thank you for your time!
-Jessica
Hi Jessica, not wanting to denegrate the ethipean stone but i have tried many times to cut them and they have all eventually cracked. i would say that the fracture was there from the beginning or at least sometime after it was cut, polished and set. The people you bought them from should stand by them. this is not your fault. can you see if they have a website and send them a polite message asking them to replace the stones with australian opal. our policy is to give a lifetime guarantee and maybe there are others who look after their customers well. in the meantime, you could repair it yourself using quick dry epoxy resin. just contact me on skype peter_brusaschi and i will talk you through it. actually if the crack is in the background of the stone, it may not be obvious anyway and you might be able to live with it. but if it contineues to crack the stone will be ruined, so its a good idea to try to get them to support you. anyway, i will help in whatever way i can, without obligation. leave your email address here first before skyping and i will email you: http://opalmine.com/contact-us/
Hi, I just purchased a beautiful 6 carat Mexican opal on ebay. It was white. I had it mounted in a pendant, and after wearing it a few days, it has turned clear. This may be a case of buyer beware, but is there anything I can do? I spent a lot of money getting it mounted. Thanks for your help!
Zoe, i imagine that you have got a piece of hydrophane opal which tends to lose its color in water but some lose their color without water. We have opal similar in Australia from the coastal areas and while its very beautiful, it cannot be used without risk as the color can disappear. i would suggest getting back to the supplier in eBay and asking for a refund because sellers have to make sure they dont cheat anyone or eBay gets upset with them. first of all, go to the contacts area here http://opalmine.com/contact-us/ and i will make some suggestions by email. Maybe you could take a close up shot of your opal and send it to me by email but please make sure that you reduce the size of the image to around 100 to 200 kb. I will help as much as possible without obligation. Best wishes Zoe, Peter
Thank you for your help! I will e-mail you. Zoe
Hi Peter, I tried to e-mail you, but I kept getting an error message. Here is the description of the opal from ebay: 6 carat Cabochon Ethiopian Welo Carving with Multicoloured Fire 13 MM X 12 MM X 7 MM
I had exposed the opal to water. Per your advice, I let the opal dry, and the color is returning. I paid more to have the opal mounted then I paid for the stone so any advice you can give me will be much appreciated. If the best you can offer is “don’t get it wet”, I understand and appreciate your time. Thank you!
Hello – I am considering buying a 1920s opal and diamond ring at auction, but the auctioneer has told me (when I asked) that the opal has crazing. Should I avoid it? I can email you some pictures if that would help. Many thanks!
Catherine, it would be OK if you got it for the price of the jewelry itself. If the opal is crazed it means its cracked and would probably be worthless. It means the stone comes from an untrustworthy field maybe Africa or Nevada or Europe or some known cracky fields. If you like send me the url where its featured or a picture by email and I will advise you. You can easily get another stone cut to fit but you have to work out the costs first. Pleased to help if i can. no obligation to buy anything. Advice is free. best wishes Catherine.
Thanks very much, Peter – I have emailed you.