Do opal stones in jewelry need any special care?

Question

I've heard that they tend to crack easily because the stone is soft, and I was just wondering if this is true. If so, how can one keep that from happening?

Answer 1

Opal Care & Cleaning:

Other stones can scratch or even break opals, so be sure to store opals separately. As with all gemstones, avoid scratches from contact with harder substances by keeping the stone in a soft cloth bag away from harder substances such as other jewelry. You should not expose doublet or triplet opals to extended periods of bathing or swimming for it is difficult to predict how the glue will reacts under such conditions.

Maintain their beauty by cleaning your gems:

Gems, particularly those in rings, will collect dust behind the gem. Clean your opal with plain warm water or soapy water. Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaning because they may be too harsh for some gems.

Avoid extreme conditions:

Opals sometimes dehydrate shortly after being mined, and then opals might have a tendency to craze, which means to crack or developing webbing. If the opal survives several months without crazing, it is likely to last. Some opals maintain their beauty for centuries. To help protect your opal, avoid high heat, direct sunlight, hot showcase lights, desert conditions, low humidity bank vaults, or other extremes. Rapid temperature changes can also affect your opal.

Water not oil:

Opals can have a tendency to dry and crack, so in addition to avoiding conditions that might accentuate drying, you might also want to soak your opal in water for several hours from time to time. Avoid soaking or wiping with oil! Oil can potentially damage the opal causing it to lose its fire.

Avoid wearing gems during strenuous exercise:

It is safest to store them while engaging in any activity where they might be subject to high impact.

Do not handle jewelry by the stone:

You don’t want to loosen a stone from the mount and take a chance of eventually losing it if the stone falls out.

Answer 2

I had a beautifu opal ring and which had 3 stones in it and I lost one out because I was wearing it in the winter time and cold air makes them more brittle and I banged my hand against something. Try not to hit it, but if you are accident prone as am I then be careful not to wear it on a daily basis. Clean it with vinegar because some of those jewelry cleaners are quite harsh.

Answer 3

Opals are very brittle. If the stone is in a piece that will see a lot of wear (such as a ring) simply save it for special occasions. If it's in a necklace, you can probably wear it more often. Just avoid subjecting it to heavy use and situations where it might get banged around a lot.

Answer 4

That is very true. They need oil to keep their light and shine. I used extra virgin olive oil with mine - just let the whole ring soak in it. You have to wipe it dry before wearing, but it kept mine beautiful for six or seven years.

Answer 5

That is about it, but only once in awhile. Use a soft cloth to polish and keep it dust free.

Answer 6

BabysMom said it all - also do not wear it if you will be digging in the dirt and stuff-they scratch easily