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Opals are gorgeous gemstones and are known to bring fortune, mental clarity, protection, love, marital bliss and physical well-being to the person. Because of the play-of-colors on the surface of the gems these gems are highly loved and beautiful jewelry pieces are made from them.
But you must take good care of your opal gemstone jewellery. Opal stones have a hardness of 5.5 – 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. That means they are softer gems and need more care. Plus, this gem properties are very different from other gems, so it is essential that you care for opal properly.
Let's discuss in brief why caring for opals is required and How do you maintain opal jewelry?
Yes. Opal stone are made of amorphous silica and consist of water at least 21%. Some of the opals are porous in nature as well. Most opals that are used to make jewelry pieces have at least 2 to 6% of water and so they can get damaged by extreme temperature changes, can absorb water and get damaged.
Hence, it is hard to care for opals, you have to keep them at suitable temperatures and make sure that they are not getting scratched or are prone to damage.
Also Read - Pulling Out The Opal Stone Benefits
You have to care well for your gem and jewellery in terms of temperature and stability. The opal stone have water up to a percentage in it and so it is essential that you make sure you do not leave it in water.
You have to remove the opal gem while bathing, swimming, going to the sauna or hot bath or any activity that involves water.
Plus, the gem can also get damaged from heat. Intense light heat will cause fracture lines so do not leave the gem under sunlight or even the lights of your house for too long.
You should also make sure that you remove it while cooking because the sudden temperature change can either fracture the gem or the opal gemstone might lose its color.
Never let the gem come in contact with any acids, cleaners or any substance with even a little bit of chemicals as it can destroy the gem. Remove the gem while getting ready as the moisturiser, perfumes, make-up and hair spray also contain chemicals that can affect the gem.
You have to keep in mind all the points mentioned above to take care of your opal ring. Just one more thing you need to ensure if you are wearing an opal ring is that while making of the ring, you choose a setting that keeps the gem held tightly in its place as well as do not choose a setting that puts a lot of pressure on the gemstone.
Read More - What is a ring setting? Most Popular Ring Settings
how to clean opals at home? Well, the best way to clean opal stone at home is through mildly soapy lukewarm water and a soft cloth. Do not take a lot of water and never submerge your gem in it as well. Wet the cloth a little in the mildly lukewarm soapy water, clean the gem with soft hands, and then with clean lukewarm water clean the gem again and then pat it dry with a clean cloth.
Do not use brush, or cleaners to clean these gems. Plus, never use ultrasonic on this stone.
The best way to get your gem opal jewelry cleaned is professionally in a lab. The experts knows best how to clean and care for opals. They will polish it and inspect the gem as well to ensure that is not on the verge of damage.
Further Reading - Australian Opal vs Ethiopian Opal: Difference & Benefits
Caring for opals is not an easy task because you have to store opal jewellery properly as well.
For a short period of time, you can just keep the opal jewelry in a soft bag or in cotton and place in a jewelry box. However, if you have to keep them stored for a long time you have to add a cotton wool with a few drops of water with the jewel and then seal it in a plastic bag.
This is because in zero humidity storage, the environment can damage the stone. No moisture can make the stone dead. So the water of the cotton wool will not be absorbed by the gem but will prevent water from coming out of the gem.
Yes. You can wear opals every day but you have to take extra care of them. Be mindful of the activities you are participating in and remove while you are doing something that can damage the stone. Like gardening, washing dishes, exercising, swimming, etc.
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Opal care can be tough but the beauty of the gem is worth the effort. You can wear this mystical gemstone on beautiful occasions as well as can wear it daily as long as you keep it away from chemicals and temperature changes. The most important point to keep in mind is that never let it in water for a long time and neither in zero humidity storage.
If you are looking forward to buying an original opal gemstone, buy it now from navratan, the online gem bazaar, where you will get authentic and lab-certified gemstones at the best prices. Plus, you can also get your gemstone jewelry customized as per your taste and preferences.
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