Natural White Ethiopian Opal 3.74ct Teardrop Cabochon
€80.00 EURSKU: op416
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An elongated teardrop, 16.4mm from point to shoulder, and the extra length gives the play-of-color space to arrange itself into large bold patches. Vivid emerald green takes the largest share, laid across the upper half in broad irregular blocks, with hot red-orange and gold filling the center and a deep blue-violet patch at the top edge. The body is a translucent grayish white, but very little of it shows through: color covers most of the surface, and each patch lights fully rather than in pinpoints.
Opals with color in large connected areas are described as showing broad flash, an effect produced by unusually wide, uniform domains of ordered silica spheres inside the stone, each diffracting light as a single unit. Ethiopia's Welo deposits have produced this kind of material since 2008 and now supply most of the white opal in the trade. The stone is untreated. Welo opal is hydrophane and absorbs water, so keep it dry and out of ultrasonic cleaners. The long teardrop outline is well suited to a pendant or drop earring, allowing for opal's 5 to 6.5 hardness. Opal is October's birthstone.
Natural white Ethiopian opal, broad flash, 16.4mm teardrop, 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: 16.4 × 9.2 mm
Shown next to a €1 coin (23.25 mm) in the exact ratio, so you can picture the real size.
