Opals are found almost everywhere in the world. However, 95% of opals in New South Wales are quarried in Australia. In Greek mythology, opals stand for the tears of the Greek father of the gods, Zeus. In ancient times, the opal was the protective stone for love and hope. The opal is made into jewelry.
Anyone who owns opal jewelry needs to know how to care for the opal jewelry and how to store it. We give you tips and tricks on the topic of caring for and storing opals. We also give the most important tips on buying opals, because even today the opal is considered to be one of the strongest soul stones in esotericism.
Caring for opals properly
The opal is a gem that wants to be worn. Incidentally, opals are only processed into gemstones. It is a relatively soft stone, with a hardness of around 6.5 on the Mohs scale. The hardness of minerals is classified using the Mohs hardness scale. It is, therefore, better to take off your opal when you are doing hard work or when you will be in contact with chemicals.
Also, the opal does not tolerate extreme temperature fluctuations. It is often wrongly assumed that opals do not tolerate water. In fact, they even consist of 5-6% water. In fact, contact with water is beneficial for solid opals. However, it is different with the doublets and triplets. There is only a thin disk of opal; the piece of jewelry consists of several layers connected with glue. This can then come off through permanent contact with water.
Keep opals safe
Opal comes in many different colors such as pink, white, blue, green, purple, red, yellow, grey, orange, and brown. However, the most valuable among them is the black opal. It is very important to properly store such a valuable item if the opal jewelry is not to be worn for a long period of time.
Just like other gemstones or valuable pearl jewelry needs to be cared for in a special way, the opal also has species-specific care requirements. It is best kept in a soft jewelry cloth so that it cannot get scratched. Also, find out how to hide your valuables and keep them safe. Most importantly, in low humidity conditions, your opal should not dry out. It is therefore highly recommended to wipe your precious stone with a damp cloth every now and then.
Opal Buying Tips
When buying an opal, there are very different things to consider than when buying a diamond, for example. With opals, the size is not so important, but the type and the play of colors. Thus, even a small opal with a wonderful play of colors can have much more value than a large one without any special “glow”. Red tones are very rare and therefore particularly valuable.
Furthermore, the black opal is a very valuable gemstone. Even the jewelers often do not always agree on the appreciation. Approximately 95% of opals are mined in Australia. There are three main types: white, boulder, and black opals. The black one is rarer and therefore the most expensive and precious. Each opal is unique. Shakespeare once called it “The Queen of Gems”. Maybe you would like to buy such a piece of jewelery or read more about it.
