Natural Ethiopian Opal 2.37ct Oval Cabochon
€31.00 EURSKU: op409
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A plump, high-domed oval with a warm cream-white body and color spread right across the surface rather than gathered in one spot. Green leads, running in soft overlapping patches from edge to edge, with rose pink and pale yellow threading between them and a cooler blue-green glow along the lower rim. The effect is gentle and even rather than sharp, the whole dome lighting up at once as the stone moves.
The color is structural. Opal is built from tiny spheres of hydrated silica, and when those spheres settle into neat repeating layers they split incoming light the way a diffraction grating does, sending back one color at one angle and another at the next. Welo opal from Ethiopia's Wollo Province has been the main source of white and crystal opal on the market since the early 2000s. This one is untreated. Being hydrophane it will take up water, so avoid soaking it and keep it clear of ultrasonic cleaners. With a hardness of 5 to 6.5 it suits pendants and earrings, or a ring worn with a little care. Opal is October's birthstone.
Natural Ethiopian opal, untreated, October birthstone, sold loose.
We ship worldwide from Sofia, Bulgaria. Every order is packed in a protective box with bubble wrap. Orders within Bulgaria are dispatched within 1-2 business days and international orders within 2-3 business days. Free shipping is applied automatically at checkout, and the threshold applies to the order value after any discounts.
Delivery within Bulgaria
- Delivered by Speedy, Econt or Box Now, to a courier office, a locker or your address.
- Fixed prices: Box Now locker €1.60 (free on orders from €25), Speedy office €3.20, Econt office or locker €4.00, Speedy to your address €4.50.
- Free shipping on orders over €50, with any courier and at any weight.
- Cash on delivery is available.
- Delivery normally takes 1-2 business days after dispatch.
- Hardness
- 5-6.5
- Cleavage
- None
- Durability
- Poor
- Soapy water
- Damp cloth
- Ultrasonic
- Avoid
- Steam
- Avoid
About opal
Opal is amorphous: unlike most gems, it has no crystal structure. It is made of silica and water, and in precious opal the play of color comes from microscopic spheres stacked in neat rows that split light. It is 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale and sensitive to knocks, heat and sudden temperature changes. Ethiopian opal is usually hydrophane: it can soak up water and turn temporarily cloudy or lose its play of color, which returns as it slowly dries.
Cleaning
Wipe it with a soft cloth dampened in lukewarm water and dry it at once. Do not soak it or leave it in water. Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners: opal contains water and can crack (craze) with vibration or heat. Never use oil on it.
Wear and storage
Below 7 on the Mohs scale, it can be scratched even by household dust, which contains quartz. It suits pendants, earrings and brooches better than rings worn every day. Store it on its own in a soft pouch, away from harder stones.
For your jeweler
This opal is untreated. Opal should be kept away from the torch flame, acid pickle and the ultrasonic bath. A bezel or another protective setting suits it best.
Scale
True to scale: 10 × 8 mm
Shown next to a €1 coin (23.25 mm) in the exact ratio, so you can picture the real size.
