A Bit About The Piece:
Ethiopian Opal and White Topaz set in Sterling Silver
Details, details...
The Center Stone: Natural Ethiopian Opal
- stone cut: cabochon
- stone measurement: 7.25 x 5.14mm
The Side Stones: White Topaz
- stone cut: melee rounds
- stone measurements: 1.96mm
The Setting: Prong Set Sterling Silver Setting with Side Lace Design
- .925 sterling silver, solid
- ring size: 5.75
About Opal:
While many believe opal to come only in a traditional white hue, this common misconception cannot be more inaccurate. With over 200 varieties of natural opal discovered so far, the historically referred "Queen of Gems" can come in a wide variety of colors- before the stone's famous "play of color" rainbow effect is even taken into consideration. Over 90% of the world's opal is produced in Australia with other well-known deposits located in Mexico, Ethiopia, Brazil, and the United States.
Chemically, opal is an integrated combination of water and silica. Water content in opal can range from 3% to 21% by weight, with average jewelry material ranging between 6% and 10%. Because of this, it is advised to store your opal jewelry with care; safes and bank vaults can be notoriously dry. We suggest storing opal in an airtight container along with a piece of water-moistened cotton when dry storage conditions are anticipated. Some varieties are more resilient to harsh conditions than others. It is safe to clean solid opal jewelry with warm water, mild soap, and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid chemicals, harsh abrasives, and ultrasonic cleaners.
About Topaz:
Topaz, the birthstone of November, is known to come in a variety of colors. Stones can naturally be yellow, gold, brown, pink, white/colorless, and light blue. Specific tones of blue such as "Swiss blue" and "London blue" are achieved through irradiation treatment. Vibrant pink, violet, "mystic topaz," and green topaz are the result of coating natural colorless topaz in titanium and other materials.
Ranking 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, topaz is highly scratch resistant and great for everyday wear. It is important to note, however, that topaz is easy-cleaving and cannot withstand sharp blows. Most topaz jewelry can safely be cleaned with chemical jewelry cleaner, but we recommend cleaning coated topaz jewelry (such as "mystic topaz") with care. Certain coatings can be more delicate than others. Warm water with mild soap and a soft bristled toothbrush should not harm coated topaz if not brushed aggressively.