It’s vital that one should consider the care for the Opal gemstone before even purchasing them. But should one have bought them without this consideration in mind, these tips still hold water, no need to worry.
The Opal gemstones are very delicate as compared to the other stones. It rates 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. This openly tells one that these stones need great care and that they are not to be worn when doing manual work, like gardening etc. For doing this might lead to getting them scratched. Note that this applies to all Opal Gemstones, including fire opal jewelry which being used as ring might make one think that they are stronger but the bad news is that they can also get scratched.
Opal gemstones have higher water content in them as compared to the rest. This definitely mean that a long exposure to heat or very low humidity might dry them up and cause crazing- i.e. drying in common language. With this in mind, rapid temperature changes should also be avoided by all cost. This means that they do not like exposure to prolonged heat or low humidity since it will dry them out and may cause cracking. Make sure you avoid rapid temperature changes for the same reason.
Cleaning on the other part depends on the type of Opal Gemstone concerned. If it’s the solid type, then soaking it in water (warm), mixed with some washing detergent (soft) and then wiped with a soft cloth or maybe a paper towel. But take care if you have either opal doublets or triplets then soaking them in water may affect the glue between the layers. This can result in giving it a foggy look which is not appealing at all. You can just clean them with a soft cloth and ensure that it’s really soft to make sure it does not get scratches.
To store these beautiful yet delicate opal gemstones make up your mind to keep them from the jewelry since gems such as diamonds can scratch them. If they are to be kept for a lengthy period, then putting them in a plastic bag will do the trick. Inside the plastic bag make sure you have some dump cotton wool and then let it stay sealed. The most will ensure that they do not crack. But if they are being kept away for a short this should keep the air moist enough to keep them for a short time, then a soft beg will do!
Take care though not to use ultrasonic cleaners on Opal Diamonds, for the reason that they form microscopic bubbles in the water or cleaning solution that takes away dirt from the jewelry. Opals are too delicate for this kind of cleaning and might result in cracking.
Basically the Opal Diamond is not really hard to take care of. If you follow the tips offered above then you will have your treasured stone staying longer and giving you all you need from them without many problems.