Wearing, Storing and Caring for Opal Jewelry

September 4, 2010- Opal stone jewelry is quite popular among jewelry lovers. The natural color flashes in red, orange, blue and the fire opal stone makes it a very desirable gemstone for both, gemstone collectors and jewelry wearers. However, opal stone is not so hard and tough as compared to other popular gemstones like diamonds, sapphire and emerald that rate 10, 9 and 7.7 respectively on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Opal stone is considered to be a soft stone due to its hardness of just 5.50-6.50 on Mohs scale. As such, wearing opal jewelry as well as storing needs a lots of care. There is one more reason for opal care and that is the high water content of this stone. On an average, opal stone contains 5% water. However, that does not mean that you can not buy opal stone or wear opal jewelry. Proper caring for opal jewelry will eliminate all worries about using opal gemstone. Here we tell you how to care for opal jewelry in the right manner to avoid damaging them and to keep them with you forever!

Caring for Opal Jewelry- Wearing them Properly!

Opal stone has poor scratch resistance so it is not advisable to wear opal gemstone jewelry daily. However, because opal stone has high water content, it is also not desirable to store them for a very long time at a stretch in your vault or locker. When opal jewelry is locked away in jewelry boxes without air or moisture, they can crack due to dehydration. Wearing opal jewelry at regular intervals (as often as possible but not daily) makes them pick up moisture naturally from air and skin during wear.

• Avoid making engagement or wedding rings with opal stone as they are worn everyday.
• When wearing opal jewelry, take care not to hit or scrape it against anything as this can scratch or crack an opal stone.
• Avoid wearing opal jewelry while doing dishes, cooking, swimming or bathing because water as well as sudden changes in temperature can damage opal stones. Opals can always tolerate some heat and cold but cannot tolerate abrupt temperature change (like coming into an air-conditioned environment from sun or washing hands while still wearing opal ring in hot water and then taking out ice tray from deep freezer!
• Never apply perfumes, hair sprays, cologne, deodorant or any other such thing that contains chemicals while wearing opal jewelry. They cause pH imbalance in opal stone and damage your opal jewelry.

Caring for Opal Jewelry- Storing Tips!

Opal stone jewelry needs special storage care because of their high moisture content. Too much water or too much dryness, both are harmful for your opal jewelry. So, store opal stone jewellery in just the right environment to protect them from any type of damage. The most important fact to consider when storing opal jewelry is to maintain the moisture in the stone and avoiding sudden temperature changes.

• Store your opal jewelry- individually- in soft cloth bags. Storing opals individually avoid scratching.
• If storing opal jewelry for longer periods or in a very dry climate, seal them in plastic bags with a slightly damp piece of fabric. This prevents opal stone from drying out.
• Avoid storing opal jewelry in a bank vault, locker or in a dehumidified room. These environments have low humidly. If its not possible to avoid storing opal in a safety deposit box, place the gem in a sealed bag with a dampened cloth.
• Avoid storing opal jewelry in such places like basement or attic as their temperatures vary and can fall below freezing point or become very hot. This affects the natural water content in opal stone causing damage.
• Avoid storing opal jewelry near windows, doors, or in places where there is direct impact of heating system or air conditioners.

Caring for Opal Jewelry- Cleaning Opal Stone!

Opal stone has its own unique construction and thus using any type of chemical cleaner can damage your opal jewelry. Some dust particles can also damage opal jewelry just through rubbing as they are actually harder than opal stone. Here are some cleaning tips for opal jewelry.

• Wipe opals with a clean, soft, dry cloth such as silk or cotton. Ensure that these clothes do not have any kind of dust particle on them.
• You can even rinse your opal jewelry in luke warm. Never use hot or cold water- just lukewarm water. After rinsing, polish it carefully with a piece of soft cloth or tissue.
• If you are cleaning veneer opal jewelry (opal doublet, triplets and inlays), never immerse them in water and avoid using detergent. Veneer opal s are made using very thin slivers or veneers of opal attached to a base material and detergents may weaken the glue that binds the laminate to the base.
• Never ever use harsh detergents, gem polishing solutions, bleach, abrasives, and even toothpaste to clean opal jewelry. As mentioned earlier, chemicals can alter the pH balance of opal stone.
• Do not use ultrasonic cleaners for your opal jewelry. Vibrations from them can cause opal stones to crack.

While cleaning opal jewelry, if you notice some damage (the claws in the setting may become loose or the opal stones may look dull), you should take it to a jeweler or gem cutter for damage repair before the problem gets worse.

If you follow the above mentioned opal care tips while wearing, storing and cleaning opal jewelry, you can rest assure yourself of dazzling with your fine opal gemstone jewelry for years to come!