Stout Jewelry

Facts About Opal:

Opal is different than many of the other kinds of gemstones used in jewelry. It has color on its surface called fire that can be in a wide variety of shapes and hues. Along with the precious colored material, the background that the color is on also determines how the opal looks. Along with these and other characteristics there are many kinds of opal with an infinite number of gemstone appearances. The beauty of each opal can only be judged by the individual but the rarity, cut, size, brightness, fire color, and background color all have an effect on the price of opals including the ones on this page. All of the opals at stout jewelry are authentic Australian opals. Most of the opals that can be seen in jewelry stores are either synthetic, lab grown, or doublets. Synthetic opals are man-made with plastic or glass-like materials. They look fake and are not usually as strong as real opals depending on what materials are used to make them. Lab grown opals are also man-made but are grown with the materials that natural opal is made of. Lab grown and synthetic opal is not worth as much as natural opal because it does not look the same. Man-made opal is generally not considered as beautiful as natural opal. If you buy opal jewelry somewhere else it is important to know if you are buying natural opal or man-made opal so that you don't get ripped off.

Doublets are thin slices of opal that are glued onto a black backing. Triplets are doublets with a dome of glass glued onto the top to make them look bigger, protect the very thin slice of opal, and magnify the fire color. Doublets and triplet opals are sometimes look very nice in finished jewelry. Doublets and triplets do not have nearly as much value as solid opal and anyone who is buying opal jewelry should keep that in mind. There is some finished jewelry on this site that is available to someone who would like a piece of beautiful opal jewelry but do not want to spend the money for a solid opal. If a piece of jewelry contains anything except solid Australian opal it will be stated prominently in the description here on the Stout Jewelry site but buyers should be careful at jewelry stores and especially online auctions to find out what they are really buying.

Now for the most popular question: What is the difference between white, black, and crystal opal? There are examples of all of these types of opal at Stout Jewelry so you can see for yourself what each kind looks like. Browse through the pages of opal pictures and click on the ones that have a link if you would like more information. The backing of a solid, natural opal is made of the same material as the colored part of the opal but the arrangement of the molecules does not create iridescent color like the top of the opal. The backing can be white, black, gray, or clear. The backing color contributes to the overall appearance of the opal along with the color and intensity of the fire at the top of the opal. Black opal is the rare and valuable opal that can only be found in a few small areas in Australia. It has a beautiful, deep appearance that makes the fire look even brighter. When people think about opal they are usually thinking about white opal because authentic solid black opal is so rare. Clear background color is what can be seen in a third type of opal called crystal opal. This opal is transparent except for the fire. The fire is often mixed throughout crystal opal. Which kind of opal you prefer depends on your taste. There are other types of opal. There is another kind of opal that is very attractive and valuable called boulder opal. Some top quality boulder opal will soon be on this site. Once opal is cut and polished it can be set into jewelry. Setting opal is considered too difficult by most jewelers so they do not work with high value opal. Opal cannot withstand the heat required for soldering so that also makes setting more difficult. Opal does not crack or break unless it is exposed to heat higher than a person would ever want to be in contact with. A common perception is that opal is fragile but that is not really true. It does chip easier than most gems but if it is cut properly it is very strong. All the settings made for the opals at Stout Jewelry are designed to protect the opal so that it can be worn like any other kind of jewelry. We design our settings so they are light enough to be comfortable to wear but strong enough that the opal is secure and protected. We also try to show part of the sides and back of the opals whenever possible so that the proud owner of our jewelry can be sure that it contains genuine solid Australian opal.

How is the opal mined and cut? The traditional mines were simply holes where dirt is removed with hope that a seam or knob of precious opal would be discovered. Most opal is dug by hand once it is spotted on the wall of the mine tunnel. Opal has only been discovered in a few places in Australia. Once a piece of precious opal is found it is cut and polished with lapidary equipment. This process requires a lot of skill and some talent as well. This is especially true with black opal and boulder opal because it can be more difficult to cut correctly. The finished product is of great beauty like no other gem in the world. Opals can be cut to either a shape that fits into mass produced gold or silver settings, or the opal can be cut to a unique shape and size and then have jewelry settings made to fit the opal. Most of the jewelry at Stout Jewelry is made specifically for each individual opal by Stout Jewelry with a process known as lost wax casting. There are also some factory made settings as well that can be purchased. All finished jewelry is in the jewelry section with descriptions and prices for most of the pieces. Please have fun looking at the opals showcased on this site. If you have any questions please email us at info@stoutjewelry.com.

Much of this information comes from the books about opal by Paul B Downing, Ph. D.

Information was also provided by a friend who is an expert on opal, sources from the mines in Australia and fellow opal enthusiasts in the US.