Should Opals be stored in water?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- A subscriber asks about storing Ethiopian opals in water. I also explain the difference between Australian and Ethiopian opals
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Love the videos. Have watched them all and bought your books. One request though, can you increase the volume in the recording? I have difficulties with the audio ever since you came back. Best regards
Thanks respect from Ethiopia
I am new to this topic and I am still confused about Ethiopian opal care. I have been buying little bits and pieces of it which have all been dry and I was instructed to keep it dry. I have seen videos of it losing all of its colour and looking like clear glass when it is left in water. That's "clear" enough, but I have just bought three 50 gram pieces of rough Ethiopian opal specimens and it is coming in water filled glass jars with instructions for me to keep it in the water. I don't understand. Can I dry the specimens when I get them? Why don't the specimens turn clear in the water like the other Ethiopian opal does?
Awesome question. First of all, conventional wisdom has always said that opals have water content in them in various amounts. Certainly the Australian opals were 7-14% water. They required very little care. My friend and Australian opal miner Peter said the only care was to not keep them in a place with no humidity, such as a bank safety deposit box. Then with the Mexican fire opals, they would mine them and let them cure in the sun for a period of time so t hey were stable and could be set in jewelry. Then came the Ethiopian opals, which were very different. They were a game changer. In the trade they are referred to as Hydrophane opals. They can gain and lose water. The first time I encountered them at a show, I put my finger on top of an opal and it was so dry, it stuck to my finger! I have since seen people try to regulate the amounts of water in Ethiopian opals with varying degrees of success. I don't believe that you will damage your opal by storing it in water, since it is normal for Ethiopian opals to lose and gain water content over time. As an aside, opals are doubly refractive so they look better in water
Great information, Thank you!
Dearest Paul,
It is really recent that i started following you on this plat form! I am from Ethiopia and would like to get in to the gem business. Professionally, i am a Tour Operater so would you please fill me up with what i have to do before i jump in to it!
With Regards,
Assefa!
I have several types of Opals,but only keep a couple little Indonesian fossil root opals in water, without it they look so super dry,like they're just begging for it.
I am not surprised. I remember attending a seminar during the Tucson Gem show given by by Fred Ward, who was an award winning photographer and author of gem books. He said the best way to photograph an opal was in the water because opals are doubly refractive!
Oh, learned about why my turquoise changed color
I also believe it's to show off their beauty.
Had my aussie opal from lightening ridge in a jar filled with mineral oil and it was fine for years.. i took out the oil and out thr opals back in and in about s years time most of them stsrted cracking. So i keep my black or white aussie opal in a non curosiv liquid from that moment... Dunno about Ethiopian opal though, its to cheap n fake looking to ever catch my attention
Can we keep opal in beg and keep it in 45c• in our room etiopian opal ??
Please can you do a video on the inclusions in imperial and golden topaz rough I have searched can't find a single video on it or a website that goes into details about rough I found it on gemstones but I have not been able to find it described in rough. With two types of fibrous inclusions one is I believe most likely asbestos the other not sure because differences in hardness color but they could be the same material more compacted with different trace elements making them show different colors and the vast majority of the time they are always cut out of the stone however I have cut a few where I liked the look and centered it in the gem instead. Yes I do use the term stone and gem since any mineral rock crystal can be a gem it is the cut polishes versions that are gemstones they are all rock minerals or crystals before that. I'm definitely OCD and certain things stick out in my brain not being able to find the answer especially since I had a stroke drives me nuts please also excuse any spelling gramer or if I use the wrong word my brain is still trying to recover. Thank you
Aloha from Hawaii
That’s one of the greatest controversies of rough stones, thank you for settling that
Would your advice differ on the Ethiopian Opals, if we were talking about a chunk (35 grams) of the stuff in raw/unpolished form? I currently have one like this in a water jar in my cabinet just to be safe--at the suggestion of the folks that sold it to me at a rock show.
Hi and thanks for the question. I don't want people to misunderstand my discussion on opals-whether from Australia or Ethiopia. The original question posed to me was "do I have to store my opals in water". You can always store your opals in water (especially in the rough) if you want to . Is it mandatory? No. Finished opals (polished) should be fine without constantly storing in water. In the rough, Ethiopian opals are often referred to as "Hydrophane opals". That is because they generally have a higher water content than Australian opals. They can lose water content when they dry out, and absorb water content when they soak it back in. This is very different than they behave after being cut and polished. Also, as I mentioned in the lesson, opals show their play of color better when they are viewed in water jars. They are doubly refractive and you can see the play of color better as a result. Hope this helps you with your question!
@@pauldeasygemstones It does-- Thanks!
Thank you! I'm bought 2 opals and they come in water filled glass jars
Higher volume please.
Sir.... Alexandrite gemstone and cats eye gemstone
TURN UP THE SOUND VOLUME!!!!!
I recently purchased one, how should I store it?
Great question, Redstone. As I mentioned in previous lessons or questions, opals have a certain amount of water content in them. The percentage of water content is generally higher in the Ethiopian opal (sometimes called “Hydrophane opals”) than the water content in Australian opals. You really don’t need to store them in any particular way. Once they have been cut and polished you should be fine. My only advice would be NOT to store it in a bank deposit box. Why? Since opals do have that water content you wouldn’t want to store it in a dry climate controlled bank vault as the lack of humidity could cause the opal to lose water content and affect the play of color. Otherwise, just enjoy it. Opals are among my favorites!