Gemstone Rings Fire Opal Fine Rings

All About Fire Opals and Fire Opal Rings

With a colorful range of visual effects from translucent to transparent, the fire opal was named for its fiery shades of orange, red, and yellow at the heart of the gemstone. A fire opal ring featuring a blue stone and set in silver is one of the more common jewelry settings to feature this gemstone. Fire opals are also found in necklaces and bracelets as well and often serve as the centerpiece of new and used jewelry arrangements or collections.

Your fire opal ring can be cleaned easily using a soft brush and warm soapy water. Avoid the use of chemical agents and ultrasonic cleaning utilities as they can damage the stones. If your ring has a silver base, you can use silver polish on this portion of the piece. Don't wear opal jewelry where it can be exposed to chemical agents or harsher environments.

With so many synthetic opals available, it's important to know the difference between the natural stones in a ring and those that are man-made. The stone is natural if:

• It doesn't have a white body tone and it isn't transparent.
• It doesn't have any visible layering with a possible layer of black at the back and/or a clear layer on top.
• No part of the stone feels like hard plastic.
• The top portion of the stone doesn't look glassy.
• You can't see through the top of the stone from a side view.
• It doesn't become cloudy over time.

Opals from the Welo region of Ethiopia are mainly hydrophane as they absorb water and can change in color. You can tell if your opal is one of these by wetting your hand and placing it atop the opal. The stones temporarily change color when wet. Allow them to air dry but don't place them under strong lights to dry.

Doublets and triplets are man-made stones. They are composed of layers, including a layer of actual opal, that are glued together using UV light for greater stability. Many people believe soaking these stones in water will protect them or increase their lifespan. If the owner is soaking a doublet or triple opal unknowingly, the stone in their fire opal ring will separate over time.