Opal Jewelry
Opal is available with play of color and those known as jelly or fire opal which can be facetted as they do not display play of color. Opal is also available as white base or black which denotes the body color of the opal. Blacks are generally more expensive and also more durable. Opal is not a hard gem and should be worn with care. They have a moisture content of anywhere from 3-30% with the higher percentages guaranteed to craze or crack as they dry out. Knowing the source of the opal is important to understanding whether you will experience crazing although there is no way of knowing if any opal will have problems. Opals from Brazil and Australia are in general the least susceptible to crazing. Mexican material is dependant on mining area.  Opal |
