Natural Ethiopian Opal 3.78ct Oval Cabochon
€31.00 EURSKU: op388
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Long and shallow-domed, this oval runs 14.3mm on its main axis, which gives the play-of-color room to move. The body is a warm cream white with a faint honey cast, and a band of green sweeps diagonally across the stone, brightening into emerald where it meets the lower edge. Orange and red flicker along the upper rim and a few blue and violet sparks appear near the ends. The color is directional here: turn the stone and the green band travels across it.
That traveling band is characteristic of opal's diffraction. Light entering the stone meets stacked layers of silica spheres and is returned as color, and because those layers are laid out in separate domains, each one lights up only when the viewing angle suits it. Ethiopia's Welo deposits, worked since 2008, supply most of the white opal seen in the trade today. The stone is untreated. Being hydrophane it can absorb water and change appearance temporarily, so keep it dry. The elongated shape suits an east-west ring setting or a pendant, allowing for a hardness of 5 to 6.5. Opal is the October birthstone.
Natural Ethiopian opal, elongated oval cabochon, 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: 14.3 × 9.5 mm
Shown next to a €1 coin (23.25 mm) in the exact ratio, so you can picture the real size.
