Jewelry Bonanza

Opal earrings are perfect choices for yourself to commemorate your success. These earrings with exquisitely beautiful opal gemstones are perfect gifts as well. Many different styles of earrings are made with opal stones. There are opal stud type earrings that appear as if the stone is a part of your ear. Curls and swirls are another popular type of opal designs that reveal the beauty of opals set in different types of metals. Dangling earrings are very popular among teens who love fashion and style.

Opals have been highly regarded for several years and Shakespeare referred to Opal as the queen of gems in his play Twelfth night. It is no wonder that the play of colors exhibited by opals has attracted one of the greatest English writers. During the initial days after discovery of opals, some people regarded opal as unlucky. Nevertheless the magnificent color and belief of people proved it the other way. Many civilizations regard opal as a lucky stone and people from those civilizations own at least one type of opal gem stone to bring them luck.

Opal earrings are great gifts for your wife during your 14th wedding anniversary. Since opal is the birth stone for those born in October, you can gift birthstone earrings for the woman you love. Engagement rings and wedding rings containing opal gemstones are becoming increasingly popular.

When it comes to opal, you have several choices to choose the color and pattern. White and light colored opals look simply elegant. They are inexpensive, as you can’t find marvelous play of colors in milky white opals. White opal earrings are suitable for those on a tight budget and looking for something casual. Black opals display excellent play of color and they are considered very rare. If you aren’t ready to shell out a few hundreds of dollars for a gemstone, then forget about buying black opal earrings. Boulder opals are more precious among opal stones.

Matrix opal is another type of opal used in making earrings. Crystal opal is second to black opal in terms of rarity and play of color. Fire opal earrings are very common and they are attractive because of shades of orange and red colors. Synthetic opals are not natural stones at all, but they are very much affordable. Doublets are partially natural and partially manmade. Natural opal is backed by potch, ironstone or other materials to make it look like black opal. Triplets are very similar to doublets and they have an extra top layer of quartz.

It is not necessary to mention that only natural opals have true value. If you are an avid collector of gemstone jewelry, then buy opal earrings made with natural opal stones. Doublets and triplets are also considered worthy of the money because it is the natural stone that is enhanced. If cheap opal is your preference, then go for imitation opals.

Since you are investing a significant amount of money in opal earrings, you deserve to know the value of the earring you buy. The play of color exhibited by the stone is very important in determining its value. Opals that glitter in red are more valuable than those that shine in green or blue. Unique and provoking patterns like fire, peacock, harlequin and others are highly regarded in opals. Brilliant opals show excellent flashes of colors in bright hues. Opals with thicker color bar are more valuable. Underlying tone which determines the color of the opal is also an important factor determining value of opal. Opals with faults, cracks, and sand particles are looked down upon.

If you want to buy opal jewelry because of your love for gemstones, buy opal jewelry from reputed jewelers who import opals directly from Australia. Don’t just believe in what the jewelers say about the quality of opal. Natural opals are certified by experts and you can trust a jeweler if you are presented with the certificate of authenticity for an opal. This certificate will specify the value of the opal based on its qualities.

After buying brilliant opal earrings, you have to know how to take care of your earrings. Generally, gemstones require more care because scratches or cracks will devalue the stone. Opals contain about 3-10% of water. In some cases, there may be about 20% of water. So, they are highly sensitive to temperatures. You should not expose your opal jewelry to very high or very low heat. To wash your opal jewelry, don’t use boiling or ice cold water.

Opals are extremely sensitive to chemicals and so, you should not use hard bleach or harsh chemicals to clean the dirt. Use mild cleanser with damp and soft cloth to protect your earrings. While storing opal jewelry for a long time, place a dampened cotton wool along with the earrings and store in a plastic bag. The moisture in the bag preserves the natural moisture of opal earrings and prevents cracking.