Caring for Opals
Opals ask for only one thing in return for their extraordinary beauty: thoughtful care.
Unlike many gemstones, opals contain a small amount of water locked within their structure, typically between 3% and 21% by weight. This natural characteristic contributes to their remarkable play-of-color, but it also makes them somewhat more sensitive than harder gemstones such as diamonds, sapphires, or rubies.
Fortunately, caring for opals is simple.
Wear Them Kindly
Opals rank approximately 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.
While durable enough for regular enjoyment, they are more susceptible to scratching or chipping than many other gemstones.
To help protect your jewelry:
- Put opals on after dressing and applying cosmetics.
- Remove them before gardening, exercising, heavy lifting, or household chores.
- Avoid impacts against hard surfaces.
A little mindfulness goes a remarkably long way.
Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes
Rapid shifts between extreme temperatures can place stress on an opal.
Whenever possible, avoid:
- Prolonged direct sunlight
- Extremely hot environments
- Freezing conditions
- Sudden transitions between heat and cold
These simple precautions help reduce the likelihood of cracking over time.
Keep Chemicals Away
Perfumes, hairsprays, lotions, cleaning products, and harsh chemicals can affect both the gemstone and its setting.
A helpful rule is:
Jewelry should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off.
Gentle Cleaning
Most opal jewelry only needs:
- Lukewarm water
- Mild soap
- A soft microfiber or lint-free cloth
Avoid:
- Ultrasonic cleaners
- Steam cleaners
- Abrasive brushes
- Harsh chemical jewelry cleaners
Gentle care is almost always the safest choice.
Proper Storage
Store opals separately from harder gemstones that could scratch their surface.
A soft jewelry pouch or lined jewelry box provides excellent protection. Larsen Jewelry pieces come packaged with anti-tarnish strips that absorb tarnishing gases. These can be removed and placed in your jewelry storage to help protect all of your cherished pieces.
If storing opals for long periods, avoid prolonged exposure to excessive heat or extremely dry conditions.
Preserving a Small Wonder
Every opal represents an extraordinary collaboration between water, silica, geology, and time. Long before it became part of a necklace or ring, it spent millions of years forming beneath the Earth's surface.
With thoughtful care, your opal can continue sharing that remarkable story for generations to come.
Artist's Reflection
One of the greatest compliments someone can pay a jeweler isn't always, "It's beautiful."
It's, "I've worn it for years."
Or perhaps, "My grandmother wore this."
Jewelry was never meant to be disposable. The pieces we treasure become quiet witnesses to our lives. They celebrate weddings and anniversaries, comfort us in seasons of grief, travel with us across countries, and, if we're fortunate, are someday placed into the hands of someone we love.
When I make a piece of jewelry, I often find myself wondering where it will be a hundred years from now. Will someone discover it tucked safely into a wooden jewelry box? Will they know whose hands first chose it? Will they smile as it catches the light, just as its first owner once did?
Those are lovely thoughts.
Caring for an opal isn't simply about protecting a gemstone. It's about preserving the stories it will one day carry.
As jewelers, collectors, and caretakers, we're only temporary custodians of these remarkable pieces. Our role is simply to enjoy them, care for them well, and pass them on ready for their next chapter.
To me, that's one of the most beautiful things about jewelry.
The stones may have waited millions of years to reach us, but their story doesn't end with us.
It continues because we cared enough to preserve it.
With gratitude for your curiosity,
Rhiana
Artist & Founder, Larsen Jewelry