- Joined
- Apr 22, 2004
- Messages
- 38,363
cflutist|1409754081|3743994 said:As much as I like Fancy Yellow diamonds, I'm going to go against the grain here
and suggest that it be mounted sans halo.
You have such a fine and beautiful specimen of black opal there that your girl can enjoy it
in all of its glory without all of the diamonds around.
SB621|1410439066|3748947 said:I love this ring personally but for a RHR and not an ering. You do know opals are soft right and not meant to be worn daily? I'm surprised no one has mentioned this first- that is why you never see them for erings. Because your lovely lady will probably chip it and ruin it where as other stones (diamonds, sapphires, spinels) hold up better. I would really caution you against this for an ering.
Yeah, I wouldn't risk an opal for an every day ring either. My mother had one and did not wear it every day and it is clearly abraded. And I see opals all of the time, so I don't know what you're talking about about in regards to marketing in the USA. Does she want an opal engagement ring?the_universe|1410444822|3748987 said:SB621|1410439066|3748947 said:I love this ring personally but for a RHR and not an ering. You do know opals are soft right and not meant to be worn daily? I'm surprised no one has mentioned this first- that is why you never see them for erings. Because your lovely lady will probably chip it and ruin it where as other stones (diamonds, sapphires, spinels) hold up better. I would really caution you against this for an ering.
a lot of people wear opals every day. in the usa a major reason why u dont see them is marketing imo.
Lol. Ok. That's a Cathy Waterman. You know, jeweler to the stars. So, while it may not be a look you like, it is certainly high end.the_universe|1410477953|3749341 said:yes she prefers yellow gold as do I. it looks great on her tan skin too. IMO it's a warmer and more attractive metal.
that opal ring you posted isnt appealing to me though. please don't take it the wrong way. but I find it too clunky looking and not high end looking enough for what I'm going for.
the_universe|1410444973|3748990 said:no. its just a good quality opal.
Circe|1410526744|3749661 said:Put me in as another voice of caution against an opal for an engagement ring. I LOVE opals. But they're about a 6 on the Mohs scale ... really soft. High quality actually works against you there: low quality stones tend to be reinforced as other materials for doublets or triplets, and they're still considered to be fairly fragile. I'd suggest if you really want this to be your engagement present, set it as a pendant, and use a gold band for the engagement as in Europe. Or, resign yourself to the fact that this probably cannot be an everyday ring: 90% of the stuff we do with our hands on a regular basis is a big risk for an opal. No dishes. No cooking. No gym. No occasional moment of clumsiness where you smack your hand into a filing cabinet. Etc., etc. - basically something your wear to parties. (I mean, you can wear it to do those things, but if you do, as the poster above me says ... insure heavily).
A bezel is safer than prongs. Hands down, bar none. It provides more protection around the circumference, and the same logic that would let you say tall/high prongs would somehow protect the stone can be applied to a bulkier bezel ( and somewhat more successfully, at that). For a good rule of thumb, trust the specialists. I wouldn't take a miner's advice about settings, I wouldn't take a jeweler's advice about mining, I wouldn't take a mime's advice about baking ... you get the idea.
I think it's lovely you're so passionate about this. Just keep the practicalities in mind! Considering how much you like this project, it'll hurt all the more if the stone gets shattered in a completely run-of-the-mill fashion: you'll be upset, she'll be upset, you might replace the ring but the sentiment will be affected ... you get the idea. My philosophy is, why borrow trouble?
Annnnnd to get us back on topic ... definite vote for the smaller, more delicate stones in the pave-type halo, regardless of whether it winds up being a ring or a pendant or whatever. A great complement to the fire!
Chrono|1410528174|3749677 said:Never allow anyone to clean your opal in an ultrasonic cleaner, as the intense vibrations may cause cracking in a solid opal.
Quality has nothing to do with hardness. Opals are soft.the_universe|1410903176|3752111 said:Chrono|1410528174|3749677 said:Never allow anyone to clean your opal in an ultrasonic cleaner, as the intense vibrations may cause cracking in a solid opal.
I appreciate your opinion but I think you are a bit misinformed here as well. For proof please see the linked video 2:15 onward where the seller puts an opal in a ultrasonic cleaner with zero issue (and even recommends it):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lve2CfYFxHM
Opal is not a mainstream stone and there seems to be a ton of misinformation on them online from seemingly "official sources." However, I think its better to seek information as close to the source as possible. So with regards with "ultrasonic cleaning [cracking... a solid opal]" I think it doesnt get much better than an actual video of an australian opal dealer demonstrating otherwise.
Also, opal durability is one of the criteria of high quality opal. So when people on this forum state that opal quality has nothing to do with durability they are misinformed as well. Durability has a lot to do with where the opal is mined. Australian opal is a lot more durable than Ethiopian Opal for example.
FrekeChild|1410908215|3752163 said:Quality has nothing to do with hardness. Opals are soft.
Opal wouldn't look the way it looks without inclusions. Inclusions = liabilities.
Not that anything we're going to say is going to convince you otherwise, so good luck! You will need it.
the_universe|1410915771|3752232 said:FrekeChild|1410908215|3752163 said:Quality has nothing to do with hardness. Opals are soft.
Opal wouldn't look the way it looks without inclusions. Inclusions = liabilities.
Not that anything we're going to say is going to convince you otherwise, so good luck! You will need it.
there is a lot more to consider besides "softness" with regards to durability/quality of opal. For example, being able to withstand dry heat and also being able to be submerged in water (hot cold salty etc) without being damaged; or being durable enough to put in an ultrasonic machine. In things such as this I think you will find that mined from difference parts of the world have a wide range of durability.
the_universe|1410903176|3752111 said:Chrono|1410528174|3749677 said:Never allow anyone to clean your opal in an ultrasonic cleaner, as the intense vibrations may cause cracking in a solid opal.
I appreciate your opinion but I think you are a bit misinformed here as well. For proof please see the linked video 2:15 onward where the seller puts an opal in a ultrasonic cleaner with zero issue (and even recommends it):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lve2CfYFxHM
Opal is not a mainstream stone and there seems to be a ton of misinformation on them online from seemingly "official sources." However, I think its better to seek information as close to the source as possible. So with regards with "ultrasonic cleaning [cracking... a solid opal]" I think it doesnt get much better than an actual video of an australian opal dealer demonstrating otherwise.
Also, opal durability is one of the criteria of high quality opal. So when people on this forum state that opal quality has nothing to do with durability they are misinformed as well. Durability has a lot to do with where the opal is mined. Australian opal is a lot more durable than Ethiopian Opal for example.
Stephny691|1410952394|3752408 said:It kinda feels like you've decided this is what you want to do and you're going to go ahead with it and disregard everything that doesn't agree with you as 'misinformation'.
"Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, which produces 97% of the world's supply."the_universe|1411089464|3753454 said:Stephny691|1410952394|3752408 said:It kinda feels like you've decided this is what you want to do and you're going to go ahead with it and disregard everything that doesn't agree with you as 'misinformation'.
I thought the title of this thread was pretty self explanatory. I wanted advice on stone size for the halo design thats it. Ill kindly save australian opal durability talk for opal experts (ie: someone who has spent their lives in opals).
There is so much misinformation about opal durability (sans the softness)
1) low quality opals cant get wet. high quality can get wet no problem (in fact before buying an opal make the seller submerge it in water in front of your eyes and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner). If the seller stands by his word and is truly selling you high quality opal and actually wants to make the sale then surely such a quick easy task to ask is not a problem. (as demonstrated in the video I linked)
2) low quality opals cant be put under salt water or various oils and house hold solutions. High quality opal is actually extremely stable and various solutions have zero effect on opal.
3) low quality opal cant be out in the sun. High quality opal can be out int he sun no problem. Lightning ridge is one of the driest and hottest places on earth. These opals were formed there over thousands of years and its super dry and super hot most of the time there. High temp and extra dry climate is no problem for them. Other opals cant take the heat and dry weather though. Its a huge difference.
4) the majority of opal in the USA is pretty low end. Even pieces made by self appointed "high quality" jewelers. Anyone who knows how to grade opal can tell by looking at the pictures of the stones. Furthermore, I see lots of opal sellers say its "australian opal" when its clearly not (even if they are photoshopped like crazy its still relatively easy to see). The countries that buy the most high end opal is India and China. Of course USA is going to talk down opal because they want to sell diamonds and have billions of dollars in marketing of diamonds.
5) at the end of the day the jewelry industry as a whole is pretty sleazy and scammy with regards to upsell at the retail level when it comes to diamonds especially (especially engagement rings). The mark up is so extreme its borderline criminal because these stones arent rare at all and thats a huge part of the sales pitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5kWu1ifBGU
and if anyone is interested in very cursory overview of the diamond industry watch this (there are much more in depth documentaries available online for free but I assume that people dont have much time)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-sFSmho4dU
^^FrekeChild|1411101331|3753559 said:Everyone suggested that you talk to your girlfriend and make sure that she wanted yellow diamonds in her engagement ring. I really have no idea if you've done that. I'm guessing you haven't, otherwise you would have spouted off about us being wrong about THAT too.
Gypsy said:Our advice on yellow diamond size: 0.0mm.
No yellow diamonds. It's frankly ugly and will make her ring into her worst nightmare.
She asked for a white diamond halo. Nut up and get her what she wants. You don't know what she likes better than she does. To assume you know better is arrogant.
So stop it and get a white diamond halo the way SHE FREAKING ASKED YOU TO.