The RG211 White Opal Diamond Ring is a fine opal ring crafted by highly skilled Thai artisans. White opal is probably the most widely recognized opal gem stone. Over 90% of the white opal gemstone rings wear a gem that has been mined in Australia. If you are purchasing a gold or 925 silver white opal ring today, you need to understand the gem stone.
First things first, ensure that the opal in your ring is natural and not a factory made substitute. Manufacturers have developed sophisticated processes and equipment to make white opal in a factory. While a natural opal takes over 100,000 years to be formed, a factory made opal is quick and can pump out material for over 10,000 opal pieces in an hour. Buyers do buy white opal rings with manmade opals, it is fine as long as you know what you are getting and the price tag reflects the kind of junk that factory made gems turn out. Jewelers fool buyers into believing that manmade white opals are better and prettier than natures gifts. Externally a factory made gem is produced in controlled conditions, no dust and no contact with the external environment. On the other hand, a natural white opal is formed in the womb of mother earth. During the thousands of years that it takes to form the gem, the stone is in constant contact with the wind and dust that the earth is exposed to. No sterile dust free environment exists down below the earth. While a buyer with little knowledge about gemology might appreciate the beauty of a factory made substitute, the value of a natural gemstone is much higher. An interesting thing is that factory made stones sometimes look very similar to their natural counterparts. Working with a reputed jeweler will ensure that you get what you paid for.
Opal is the birth stone for the month of October. The white opal would be a great choice for a birthstone ring but you can use other opals like, black opal or even the Peruvian pink opal for your gemstone rings. Below are some important issues related to white opal gem stone rings.
Color Specks (flashes): If you obvserve a white opal, you should see some small rainbow colored flashing specks on the gemstone. These make a subtle appearance and add beauty and value to the white opal gemstone. Make sure that your white opal gem stone ring has these specks. In the absence of these, the opal gem would appear quite lifeless, almost like a piece of worthless plastic. These specks are caused by the moisture content in the gemstone. A white opal without these specks would infact be a gem that has dried up it's moisture.
Durability: Hardness is just one of the physical properties of a gemstone that influences the durability of a gem stone. Your white opal ring would not be delicate and fragile but, it is also not one of the sturdiest jewels around. Opal has a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. This is an average mark and the way you wear, clean and handle your gold or silver white opal gemstone ring will need to consider this. We said something about the moisture content in white opals, this property also needs attention. Anything that will cause the moisture in an opal to dry up will reduce the beauty of the gemstone. Keep your opal gem stone ring away from strong chemicals and detergents and heat sources. Some jewelers use low grade opals that have cracks and fissures in them. These flaws might not be easily visible since the stone is not transparent. A gem that already has a partial crack or fissure is more likely to break with physical impact. The design, construction, craftsmanship and metal weight would also influence the durability of your white opal gem stone ring. For example, a design with a highly protruding opal gemstone is more likely to get the gem damaged through frontal physical impact. Bad craftsmanship could result in loose gem mountings, the stone could then drop off the ring.
Metal Choice:This is an important and interesting decision to be made when choosing any ring, it is all the more so when you talk about white opal gemstone rings. The two most popular metals used to make jewelry are gold and sterling silver. Talking about a silver opal ring, it would surely be cheaper as compared to a similar opal ring made in gold. But some issues need to be kept in mind when choosing a 925 silver white opal ring. Silver gemstone rings will need to be occassionally cleaned and polished. This is because of the tarnish that naturally appears on silver. When you clean a silver opal ring, make sure that the chemicals in the cleaning solution or fabric do not damage the gemstone. Remember that strong chemicals can alter or affect the natural moisture that is present in the gemstone. Once this happens it will affect the beauty of the jewel.
Still on the metal discussion, you would know that, the gold karatage normally used in good quality jewelry is 14k and 18k. Technically 18k opal gemstone rings would be a bit softer as compared to similar 14k gold opal rings. Good design and sufficient metal weight can however ensure that both 14k and 18k white opal rings are sturdy. When you choose a yellow or white gold opal gemstone ring, an important issue needs to be tackled. White gold is a pale color and so is white opal. A white opal will need to have visible flashing specks to stand out from a white gold mounting. If this is not so, the ring would appear quite flat and the white gemstone color would just blend and get lost in the metal mounting. A similar problem could occur with a 925 sterling silver white opal ring.
When you start your search for a white opal gemstone ring, do not jump to the first cheap ring that you find. Cheap jewelry is a bundle of compromises and you will painfully realize that when it is too late. Before you select the design and other options, make sure that you have selected the right jeweler. If this is accomplished you can be more confident of getting the right ring.