Are opals fragile?

It is true that opals are more fragile than most gemstones, however they’re not as fragile as some people imagine. Opals are about the same hardness as glass. You can confidently wear opal jewelry for a peaceful, easy feeling. Opals rank on the Mohs hardness call up to a 6.5 out of 10.

You can wear your opals for big days and every day.

are opals fragile

At Christine Ryan Designs we like to work with opal doublets and triplets. This is a natural opal adhered to a strong carbon fiber backing. This enhances the strength and color of the opal. With an opal triplet (pictured below) the opal becomes as strong as a watch face. We recommend this type of opal if you are active and don’t like to take your jewelry off.

 
what is an opal triplet
 

Some people believe that opals are unstable and prone to cracking. However, any unstable material will normally crack soon after being mined. By the time the opal travels from the mine to be cut and polished then traveled to us in Texas, any unstable material is usually indentified and weeded out.

Here are a few related opal myths:

  • Opals need to be soaked in water to prevent cracking?

    • Opal is non-porous. It cannot soak up water, oil or anything else.

  • Opals will expand and crack when exposed to heat or water?

    • Opal is non-porous and is not damaged by water.

    • Long exposure to heat may cause damage to the opal, but also to you for holding it under the heat.

  • High altitudes will cause opal to crack?

    • High altitudes will not affect your opal.

Chrissy Jones