double prong vs single prong settings

[FrekeChild]

No one is questioning "quality opal" I don't think ANYONE has said anything about the quality of your opal. In fact, the only thing people have said about it is that it looks nice. You keep getting hung up on the fact that you have a quality stone and all of the others posted are not as high of quality as yours. IT DOESN'T MATTER.

Opal is opal is opal and they are ALL SOFT. You go right on ahead and use an opal for her engagement ring, but know that there is a high probability that if you don't take decent precautions (protective setting, wearing it rarely and cautiously) it will likely get damaged. There is no magical protection given to you by getting a "quality opal" vs a "lesser quality opal. THEY ARE ALL SOFT. They all contain water.

Also, no one is saying don't use yellow gold. You use whatever metal makes you happy and that she likes. The question being raised in regards to that is the choice of melee color. Does she WANT yellow diamonds? If she wants them and has said so, great. Done. But if you aren't ABSOLUTELY SURE she wants yellow diamonds, then you NEED TO STOP AND GO ASK HER IF SHE WANTS YELLOW DIAMONDS INSTEAD OF WHITE.

Good luck and keep it away from hot salt water.

BTW, if the above image is your uncle's ring, please note that the opal is flat on top and the bezel top is above the stone. That would be a protective setting. The settings you are looking at and wanting for your stone are suitable for and holding diamonds - the hardest mineral on earth.

 

[Gypsy]

1. Freke is right.
2. I picked examples with yellow gold on purpose. I think it looks lovely with the opal. And especially since your stone has a lot of red, I like the choice of the yellow gold.
3. I don't care what you think of the quality of the opals or the yellow diamonds. And yes, you are ignorant (your word, not mine). One of those is an Oscar Heyman ring and I can guarantee you that A) the opal was top quality and B) so were the yellow diamonds.

Honestly you have no idea what you are doing. Don't really want advice. Aren't going to take it. I don't know why you are posting here. You aren't going to get pats on your head that tell you that you are right, because you aren't.

But I'll state it one more time.

1. Yellow diamonds are a BAD CHOICE for the halo melee. That's the beginning middle and end of it. Use white diamonds. PERIOD. It is not YOUR RING. It is your lady's. She asked for a halo. She didn't ask for a yellow diamond one. GET WHITE DIAMONDS. Don't get creative.

2. And your cabochon needs either a bezel or a LOT of prongs to hold it in. Okay?

3. Opals of ANY quality are too soft for everyday wear. And your lady needs to A) be aware of that and B) informed about how to take care of it. What mine it's from or whether it had more red or more blue doesn't alter the fact that the stone composition makes it a 6.5 on the MOH scale and that is TOO SOFT for everyday wear.

 

[the_universe]

Good luck and keep it away from hot salt water.

^^
misinformation

 

[VRBeauty]

Here's a link to a site that sells only opals, on the topic of using opals for engagement rings. I'd characterize their advise as "proceed with caution." In any event, they recommend the use of a bezel rather than prongs:

http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/learn-about-opals/intermediate/opal-engagement-rings-tips-and-ideas

 

[Gypsy]

http://opalmine.com/opal-care/
http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/learn-about-opals/introductory/opal-facts-myths

 

[chrono]

If you are willing to risk it and know how to take care of it properly, it is your choice. Opals cannot be repaired at this point in time. Once damaged, it is gone for good. Opal is soft enough that even dust will scratch it, so obviously she should not wear it to do housework and the sort. Just be aware to avoid high temperature changes and low humidity extremes. No cleaning with ultrasonic or steam; only mild detergent in warm water and pat dry with a lint free soft cloth.

Care of Opals
http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/learn-about-opals/introductory/how-care-opals
http://www.gia.edu/opal-care-cleaning

ETA
Gypsy and I posted at the same time. I also posted this in your other thread, which you have not viewed?

 

[the_universe]

1. Don't get creative.

too late. its how I was raised.

2. And your cabochon needs either a bezel or a LOT of prongs to hold it in. Okay?

this is untrue

3. Opals of ANY quality are too soft for everyday wear.

this is untrue

 

[chrono]

2. And your cabochon needs either a bezel or a LOT of prongs to hold it in. Okay?

this is untrue

3. Opals of ANY quality are too soft for everyday wear.

this is untrue

#2. Please explain why this is so?
#3. Please cite an official source for this.

 

[Gypsy]

No. Neither of those is untrue. You are wrong.

1. With the shape of your cabochon and it's belly and it's size (12x9), that you posted on the other thread you need either many prongs prongs or bezel.
2. 6.5 if too soft for every day wear and tear. You don't want to believe us, that's fine. You will soon enough when that sucker shatters or is scratched badly.

Chrono is right. Please show me that you are right and I am wrong. We ALL posted links for you to reputable opal experts. All of them agree with us, and none of them agree with you.

 

[the_universe]

2. And your cabochon needs either a bezel or a LOT of prongs to hold it in. Okay?

this is untrue

3. Opals of ANY quality are too soft for everyday wear.

this is untrue

#2. Please explain why this is so?
#3. Please cite an official source for this.

1) google can show you many opal rings with 4 prongs doing just fine. If you add the word "antique" to your search you can see many opal rings with 4 prongs that are over 85 years old also doing just fine with 4 prongs. Socratic Method approach

2) considering I have first hand experience of family who wear opals every day without problems. Also if you ever go to lightning ridge youll actually see miners wearing opals as they mine in the desert heat and in the ultra dry climate and they dont craze or crack or fade. Lightning Ridge Opals are sitting in this ultra dry ultra hot climate for thousands of years waiting to be taken out of the earth and they can take the extreme temps no problem. Opals from Africa (Welo Opal) or other parts of the world, not so much and are much less stable. Not many places on earth are hotter, drier and more extreme with regards to temperature than Lightning Ridge (where these opals are mined). So for example it got to about 120 degrees this year on that ridge. Yet they are still pulling out perfectly fine undamaged opals.

 

[the_universe]

2. You don't want to believe us, that's fine. You will soon enough when that sucker shatters or is scratched badly.

thank you for your kind wishes

 

[momhappy]

Even if the argument is whether or not the ring is good for everyday wear, does your GF really want to worry about it? Again, we all have likes/wants/desires (like your GF likes an opal), but does that translate into an everyday ring that she's going to potentially worry about wearing? I can appreciate your creativity, but it really seems like you're going down the wrong path with this ring and unless you are 100% certain of everything (will she worry about the ring and is that okay, does she want yellow diamonds, etc.). If she gives you the thumbs up on everything, then I suppose that's all that matters, but please don't gamble with her E-ring.

 

[chrono]

1) google can show you many opal rings with 4 prongs doing just fine. If you add the word "antique" to your search you can see many opal rings with 4 prongs that are over 85 years old also doing just fine with 4 prongs. Socratic Method approach

2) considering I have first hand experience of family who wear opals every day without problems. Also if you ever go to lightning ridge youll actually see miners wearing opals as they mine in the desert heat and in the ultra dry climate and they dont craze or crack or fade. Lightning Ridge Opals are sitting in this ultra dry ultra hot climate for thousands of years waiting to be taken out of the earth and they can take the extreme temps no problem. Opals from Africa (Welo Opal) or other parts of the world, not so much and are much less stable. Not many places on earth are hotter, drier and more extreme with regards to temperature than Lightning Ridge (where these opals are mined). So for example it got to about 120 degrees this year on that ridge. Yet they are still pulling out perfectly fine undamaged opals.

Do you know whether those opal rings are worn everyday? Do you know whether they are natural, doublet, triplet or synthetic stones? Just as Morganite is too soft as an engagement ring, they are very popular in the wedding forums. That doesn't mean it is right or wrong, just that they have to accept that risk (although I'm not sure that they are aware that beryl really isn't good as everyday wear ring in the first place but that's a different topic altogether).

When I said extreme temperature, I meant the sudden change of temperature (as in very hot to very cold and vice versa).
In any case, you have decided to not follow the advice of those here, including those from GIA who are very experienced in such matters.

 

[endless_summer]

Universe, I promise that you really want to listen to the feedback from the folks on the board. Please trust them - they will save you and your girl heartache down the road. We all understand that you want to do what you want to do, but these folks have a wealth of good information that they are offering you and are thinking of things that you may not be considering/don't want to consider. This is why folks post here - others know more and spot issues that, in the moment, could very easily be missed.

Your opal is lovely, and I'm sure that it will be beautiful once you finish it for a ring, but...considering that opals are soft, that would be enough for me to conclude that the stone would be better set as a pendant (to avoid damage) or a right hand ring that only came out for special occasions.

If your girl really just doesn't want a diamond and picked an opal to be unique, you could consider sapphires or spinels - they are both harder, durable enough for rings, and there is an array of colors between the two types of stones that you could choose from. If she really wants an opal ring, I'm sure she'd be over the moon to have both a durable engagement ring AND a beautiful opal right hand ring (that she can baby, since she won't wear it all the time) down the road. If two projects are too much right now, set the opal for an anniversary/birthday/special something.

I'm only chiming in because everyone here and on the CS board has been extremely helpful to me in any project or purchase that I have considered, and I'm always thankful to have received their valuable input because it always, always yields a better result than what I would have achieved on my own.

 

[VRBeauty]

Yanno - we've all offered the universe our advice and insights... and the universe is gonna do what the universe is gonna do.

Rather than risk this turning into a classic PS pile-on, I'd suggest we just give the universe and his gf our best wishes and move on.

Just a thought.

OP, I hope you'll consider our advice. Either way, best wishes to you as you put together your GF's engagement ring!

 

[Gypsy]

Best of luck. VR is right. You asked for advice. We gave it. You argued. We're done.