Setting ideas for oval semi-black opal

[CloudofDisaster]

Hi, I've been lurking on PS for ages, but finally have a beautiful stone *and* funds available at the same time to get serious... so I'm hoping some of you will lend me your advice to make the most of this opal and help get my fine jewelry collection kicked off in style, which I get the sense is going to be a lifelong addiction for me after this.

I don't know much about opals, but this one was a gift from my in-laws. It's .74 carats, and the cab is fairly flat. My pictures of course don't do a great job of showing its true colors, but they show the major flashes. Overall the opal "reads" a soft slate blue-grey as its main background color. It's not a perfect oval, but pretty close--slightly wider on one side than the other. Overall, the max width is 6mm, length 8mm.


My in-laws are willing to have it set in my choice of setting, with a budget of about $1400. If I choose a setting that incorporates additional stones, DH and I are willing to pay the extra cost of those. This is my first time setting something and I really don't know much about opals--especially a flat cut cab--so I'm wondering...

1) Please share any and all of your setting ideas! I'm thinking about going with an east-west pendant. I don't want to overwhelm the small stone (or my small budget), but I feel like it may need some kind of dark background (whether metal, such as with a thick bezel, or gemstones like gray spinel or iolite perhaps) to make it pop. I tend to prefer edgier and unique designs, and I'm petite so I like my jewelry on the small/subtle side.
Here are a few designs I've been looking at lately, but these are just to give a sense of where I'm at--not necessarily tied to anything at this point! For each of these, I'd want to modify into an east-west pendant.


...and 2) Any recommendations for designers who have experience with opals? I'm all over the map on what I want, so I haven't reached out to anyone yet at all. I'd be happy to go with a prefab setting rather than custom if that were an option, but I don't even know whether this stone would be usable in anything like that.

Thanks in advance for your help! I'm so excited to start this project and can't wait to hear people's ideas!

 

[missy]

Love the idea of an EW pendant. Love the rich buttery yellow gold setting you shared. Very pretty.
You should reach out to @jordyonbass. He is a PSer and artist who works with opals. His IG handle is msopalworld.
https://www.instagram.com/msopalworld/

 

[CloudofDisaster]

Thanks! I will definitely reach out to him.

 

[bludiva]

so pretty! maybe take a look at the omi prive site for inspiration, they do some interesting color combos with opals...

https://www.omiprive.com/jewelry/#filter=true&stone=94&available=available

 

[Bron357]

It’s beautiful.
I’m seeing a yellow gold setting with a halo.
The halo is coloured gems. Starting at blue at both ends, then green, then yellow in the centre and repeat.
Like (left to right/ top and bottom) blue blue green green yellow green green blue blue.

 

[T L]

It’s primarily blue, green with a touch of orange, so if you can source tiny orange melee (diffused sapphires would work), I think it would be a colorful choice.

I have an orange body color opal with bits of green color play and I’m looking to set it with green melee. I like using a color that compliments the other opal play of colors but is a nice contrast to the body color.

 

[seaurchin]

Nice opal!

I would set it in a pendant instead. Opals are soft and I'd be afraid of accidentally hitting it on something and cracking it. (I wear pearl rings though so go figure).

Please let us see whatever you get!

 

[CloudofDisaster]

Yes, @T L I'm excited about the idea of incorporating orange--if not the whole way around, thinking about perhaps putting a tiny spessartine garnet or round carnelian cab on the side opposite where the orange flash is showing. @Bron357 LOVE the idea of doing several colors. That sounds beautiful!

I've read some different opinions on getting melee in other threads... If I want something particular or unique, like this case where I'd be choosy about specific shades, am I better off getting exactly what I want and bringing it with me to the designer, or do jewelers tend to prefer to work with their own sources for melee?

 

[CloudofDisaster]

@seaurchin Thanks! And I absolutely agree on the pendant. I don't trust my ability to protect the opal in a ring--too rough on my hands.

 

[seaurchin]

@seaurchin Thanks! And I absolutely agree on the pendant. I don't trust my ability to protect the opal in a ring--too rough on my hands.

Oh, duh! Just read back and realized you had said you wanted to set it in a pendant in the first place. Anyway, still can't wait to see it!

 

[CloudofDisaster]

Oh, duh! Just read back and realized you had said you wanted to set it in a pendant in the first place. Anyway, still can't wait to see it!

No worries! I just couldn't seem to find the right pendant inspiration pics, for some reason all the ones I'm drawn to are rings...

 

[CloudofDisaster]

so pretty! maybe take a look at the omi prive site for inspiration, they do some interesting color combos with opals...

https://www.omiprive.com/jewelry/#filter=true&stone=94&available=available

@bludiva Dying over Omi Prive's beautiful opals! It's funny, I had never thought much about opals and now I'm obsessed. I love the tsavorite and sapphire combo on this one:
https://www.omiprive.com/jewelry/opal,_sapphire,_tsavorite_and_diamond_ring-885.html#

 

[lovedogs]

@bludiva Dying over Omi Prive's beautiful opals! It's funny, I had never thought much about opals and now I'm obsessed. I love the tsavorite and sapphire combo on this one:
https://www.omiprive.com/jewelry/opal,_sapphire,_tsavorite_and_diamond_ring-885.html#

I love their pieces so much. I'm hoping to create something similar to one of their opal pieces when I set mine . I love this one too!!!!!

 

[CloudofDisaster]

Update! Thanks everyone, and especially @bludiva and @T L for your advice on colors--I found a wonderful ring by David Klass and asked him to modify into a pendant using orange sapphire and tsavorite melee I finally found--I'm so pleased with how it turned out! In person, the green and orange really help bring out the opal's personality.

 

[bludiva]

Update! Thanks everyone, and especially @bludiva and @T L for your advice on colors--I found a wonderful ring by David Klass and asked him to modify into a pendant using orange sapphire and tsavorite melee I finally found--I'm so pleased with how it turned out! In person, the green and orange really help bring out the opal's personality.

That. Is. Stunning.

Enjoy it!

 

[dk168]

This is my first black Opal, a doublet, and this is the setting I have in mind.

Pics of the listing:



My own pic:



Setting I have in mind, the shank will be plain and wider at the top, in White Gold:



DK

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

@CloudofDisaster Your pendant is gorgeous! I love everything about it!

@dk168 Lovely doublet! I have seen some incredible doublets lately! Make sure it's well protected- I'm a "hand talker" and my hands fly everywhere like a madwoman!

 

[minousbijoux]

@CloudofDisaster holy moley, that is truly stunning. Great choice on the orange sapph and tsavorites as they totally enhance the stone and the POC. I love it.

 

[CloudofDisaster]

This is my first black Opal, a doublet, and this is the setting I have in mind.

Pics of the listing:



My own pic:



Setting I have in mind, the shank will be plain and wider at the top, in White Gold:



DK

Beautiful opal!
And I had that same ring in my own opal setting inspo board! I love that partial halo shape--feels so fresh and unique, but still classic.

 

[yssie]

I have an opal that's a touch off-oval as well Mine also has a slightly uneven dome.

Caysie van Bebber is setting mine. We're pronging the stone with a slight airline - very forgiving setting style for slightly out-of-shape outlines! The one thing I'd recommend shying from is a bezel - either the bezel hugs the stone (which highlights the asymmetry of shape) or it's wide enough to emulate a symmetric outline (and covers part of the exterior of the stone most of the way 'round).