topic Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring? in Jewelry

Did I ruin my new opal ring?

gulf coast girl — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 22:56:45 GMT

I didn't think and I jumped in a salt water pool, it never occurred to me to take it off, I've only had it a week. Now it looks sort of yellow. It's not very pretty right now and when I first got it it did have flashes of every color in it. Is there anything I can do for it to bring it back to what it looked like before going swimming? I've never owned an opal ring before so it was my dumb fault.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

fthunt — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 23:51:05 GMT

I have opals but I'd consult a jeweler. From what I've learned - usually you shouldn't put opals in regular jewelery cleaner - - the bottle you buy to clean gold, etc.....but I would dip the ring in a cleaner quickly, rinse well and dry immediately to see if the cloudy salt is removed. In the future opals should be oiled often so the stone doesn't become brittle. I had an opal crack when the temperature was zero degrees - rub with some form of mineral oil.

and ...........consult Google, my go-to educational source. Good Luck

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

gulf coast girl — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:07:20 GMT

Thanks you fthunt, I'll try that. I believe there's some mineral oil in the garage, I'll go check, in the future I'll not swim with jewelry again.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

Kachina624 — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:48:02 GMT

Is a an Ethiopian or Australian opal? Australian opals are much more sensitive and prone to damage unless they're protected, as in the case of a doublet or triplet.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

gulf coast girl — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 18:28:16 GMT

It's an ethiopian Kachina, I just got it less then 10 days ago from JTV, it was really pretty, now it just looks yellow inside the house. It's been rainy and cloudy everyday so when I stepped outside it still looks yellow. No longer showing the pretty colors flashing through it. I may just need to order another one and learn a lesson.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

Kachina624 — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 02:14:56 GMT

@gulf coast girl I'm so sorry this happeneded to you. To a jewelry lover, the loss of a stone is a tragedy . I'm surprised the Ethiopian opal sustained such damage simply due to salt water. I'll have to be more careful with mine.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

itiswhatitis — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 02:45:47 GMT

@gulf coast girl wrote:
I didn't think and I jumped in a salt water pool, it never occurred to me to take it off, I've only had it a week. Now it looks sort of yellow. It's not very pretty right now and when I first got it it did have flashes of every color in it. Is there anything I can do for it to bring it back to what it looked like before going swimming? I've never owned an opal ring before so it was my dumb fault.

ethiopian opal	5 - 6	no treatment	n/a	n/a	n/a	Avoid steamers or ultrasonics; keep away from harsh cleaning agents or perfume; simply clean with a soft cloth. Keep away from any fluids or oils, as they can be absorbed and alter appearance and or crack the stone. Avoid all types of heat.
5 - 6	dyed	to add color	commonly	poor to excellent	DYED
5 - 6	smoked	to darken body color	occasionally	very good to excellent

This is information provided from JTV on your opal. It tells you about the hardness, if its been treated and how to care for your jewelry.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

stevieb — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 02:51:26 GMT

I hope your opal shapes up, but they are known to be somewhat delicate and temperamental stones. I rarely wear mine for that reason. When I do wear them, I put them on right before I head out and remove them as soon as I get home. If I have to wash my hands or otherwise get my hands into anything while out, I take then off until my hands are dry again. They are pretty, but they're not a great choice for day to day wear.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

depglass — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 23:55:09 GMT

I put up a thread a couple weeks ago about leaving my Michael Valitutti Ethiopian Opal in soapy mild jewelry cleaner for a month. It turned grayish yellow. I reasoned mine was water-logged, so I put it in a very low oven, maybe 130 degrees, for a few hours. In my case it worked, but since yours was in salt water, not plain water, I wouldn't suggest it. Since you bought it from JTV, you might call them and see if one of their GIA trained people can advise you. Or email them and cross your fingers. If that doesn't work, try to find a gemologist in one of your local jewelry stores.

I JUST READ JTV GEM TREATMENT GUIDE ABOVE AND IT SAYS AVOID HEAT, SO DON'T DO WHAT I DID, I was just lucky. I would have salvaged the russian chrome diopsides if my cure hadn't worked.

Re: Did I ruin my new opal ring?

Kachina624 — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 00:20:34 GMT

Actually Ethiopian opals are not supposed to absorb water or have a high water content like Australian opals. @depglass your 130° is not extreme heat. It gets that hot in Death Valley.