Opal Engagement Rings: The ultimate guide to finding a ring.
When you are ready to say I do with personal style, an opal is the one-of-a-kind option to choose. There is no other gemstone which can rival the beauty of a truly brilliant opal.
With a yearning for something less expected, you should search until you have found the one. You are looking for something that is rare and unique, so you don’t feel like you are settling. For a ring and gemstone that you’ve never seen before, an opal should be at the top of the list.
At Christine Ryan Designs we have an opal that is perfect for your biggest wedding day. My husband made me a ring because he wanted to give mesomething special. Since then we’ve become the opal experts. Here’s our guide to why opals make the most special engagement ring.
History & mythology of opal
Opal is associated with love and passion. It’s believed to enhance the intensity of emotions. Throughout time, opals have been regarded as lucky because they reflect a rainbow of all colors inside.
Opal is referred to as the Light of the World and the Queen of Gems.
The ancient Greeks believed opals were formed as happy tears of Zeus.
Because of the large amount of water in opal’s composition, opals are called a living stone.
Types of opals
Black opal: has a dark overall background with flashes of color. The contrast of colors makes black opals very popular and also the rarest.
White opal: Has a translucent or opaque white background with a softer pop of color.
Fire opal: often confused for other opals, fire opals are SOLID yellow, orange or red. Fire opals are typically in the Country of Mexico or Oregon state in the US.
Boulder opal: a play of opal color still embedded in the host rock.
Opal doublets: Natural opal adhered to a strong backing. This is a beautiful opal that is friendly to your wallet.
Opal triplets: Strong bottom layer, natural opal and protective quartz cap. This type of opal is best for every day wear and gives you opal colors that you’ve never seen before.
opal doublet (left) and black opal (right)
white opal and opal triplet
white opal and black opal (left) and fire opals (right)
Opal quality
According to GIA (Gemological Institute of America) the quality factors of an opal are Color, Pattern, and Clarity. This is a similar comparison to diamonds 4 c’s.
Color (also known as play of color) is the most important factor in opal evaluation. When light waves strike the silica formation of an opal, they break into all shades of the color spectrum. Opals can exude a kaleidoscope of shimmering colors with no two stones alike. Most rare is red.
Clarity (also known as body tone) in an opal is the degree to which a gemstone is transparent and free from internal defects. Opals will be graded from transparent to opaque. If an opal is transparent, you can label this a crystal opal. Dark body tones would qualify as a black opal.
Pattern has the least influence on an opal. The thing that makes each opal so unique is the pattern and kaleidoscope of color. Most recommend patterns for opal opal engagement rings are pinfire, broad flash, or ribbon.
Stone properties
Opal has a unique structure compared to other stones. Opal is an amorphous silica with no crystalline structure, making opals more fragile than other gemstones. On the Mohs hardness scale, opal ranks between 5.5 and 6.5. To put this into perspective, opals are about the same hardness as glass. At Christine Ryan Designs, we offer an almost unbreakable opal perfect for everyday wear of an engagement ring. Check out this article for more information about opal triplets.
We know how it feels to see lots of jewelry that is pretty, but it all starts to look the same. Don’t settle over a common ring; feel inspired with a one-of-a-kind pop of color.
We decided to work exclusively in opal because it has the brilliance fo the most precious gems - the fire of ruby, the rich purple of amethyst, the deep blue of sapphire and the sea-green of emerald, all shining together in bright harmony.
We are Ryan and Chrissy Jones, a husband and wife team that designs and crafts the jewelry near the Gulf Coast of Texas. Ryan learned how to make jewelry to give me something to make me happy. After our experience of wanting jewelry that’s special, but made for every day, we know we could share that with others.
Stack on happiness with opal jewelry made for big days and every day.
