Opal Care

When it comes to the proper care of opal, there is a surprising amount of misinformation out there, quite a lot of it repeated by the jewelry industry itself.  One of the reasons why we deal exclusively with Australian opal is because of its stability.

*To clean your opal, a mild detergent and a soft cloth or soft toothbrush will do the trick.

* There is no need to “treat” or hydrate BA opals by wetting or oiling them.

* Unless your stone is a doublet or triplet, don’t worry if it is submerged in water for extended periods of time.

*Exposing your opal to harsh cleansers, abrasives, chemicals or bleach can damage your stone.

*Never expose your opal to ultrasonic cleaners.  The intense vibrations could crack the stone.

*When storing your opal or any precious stone, store separately from other harder gems or jewelry with metal edges that could scratch it.

* Avoid extreme temperatures with opals.  Even Australian opals contain 3-8 percent water, and rapid temperature changes can cause cracks to form.

*Avoid storing BA opals in low humidity environments for long periods of time (like bank vaults).