Do I need to soak my opals?
You have invested in new opal jewelry and now you want to know how to care for opals. Here are some handy tips that will keep your opal bright for a lifetime.
Opals are not porous. Once they are polished and set in the metal, you do not need to soak your opals. Currently there is no known compound that can penetrate a solid Australian opal. Along with this you do not need to rub your opals with oil, this will just make them slippery.
At Christine Ryan Designs we work a lot of opal triplets and doublets.
These types of opals are a small layer of carbon fiber and natural opal adhered together to make the stone more vibrant and stronger. Rumor is these layers will separate over time if left in water. This is an extremely rare occurrence and would take years and year of soaking. You can feel confident to wash your hands or do the dishes while wearing your opal jewelry. I wouldn’t recommend swimming with opals (mainly because of the chemicals) but you can enjoy a cocktail and your opals poolside while lounging.
Interesting opal myths
Here are a few other myths related to “do I need to soak my opal.”
Water will expand my opal and it will crack?
Immersing a solid opal in water will do no damage.
Strong light can use an opal to dry out?
Strong light will only make your opal shine brighter.
Rubbing it with toothpaste will restore it’s luster?
The chemicals will cause damage to the opal. Please send it back and we will polish the stone for you
Warming an opal in your hand will enhance its brightness?
Heat has no effect on the display of color.
All of this is great news for you! With your new opal jewelry you can relax. You can enjoy the peaceful, easy feeling of always having a pop of color to wear.
You can learn more about how to care for your opals here. The basics of opal care are to avoid ultrasonic cleaners and chemicals. You can use warm soapy water and a soft brush. Or gently wipe the stone with your silver polishing cloth.
