Jewelry Care/ Opal Care and Info. Damaged Jewelry and GemStones.
Please read below for a list of information regarding care information on my gemstone jewelry. At the bottom is information on Broken or Damaged Jewelry.
General Jewelry Care:
Please care for your jewelry well. Please note that many gemstones and metals don’t like to be submerged in water for very long not just opals. It does harm their chemistry if done on a daily basis can crack a stone, make it become dull or scratch it. Metals can corrode and may start to break down. To clean metal, mild warm water and a soft cloth work well, you can use polishing cloth on all jewelry as it is safe and effective.
To keep your jewelry nice and to have a long life don’t wear it in the shower or while washing your hands. Do not wear your jewelry and do hard manual labor.
Please take off your opal jewelry so it does not get wet. NO harsh chemicals, lotions and soaps while handling your opal jewelry.
I can repair your jewelry if something does happen to it, however I do charge for ALL repairs and or replacing stones.
General Opal care:
To keep your jewelry nice and to have a long life do not get your opals wet; in lotions, or oils as Ethiopian opals do absorb waters and liquids (hydrophane by nature). Please take off your opal jewelry so it does not get wet. If exposed to chemicals it is ok to lightly soak your opals in clean water only for no longer than 10-15 minutes. Let your opal air dry in a cool and dry location for about 1-2 days.
Again, NO harsh chemicals, lotions, oils and soaps while handling your opal jewelry.
Don't put your opal jewelry in cleaner solutions, hydrosonic jewelry cleaners or surround your opals with extreme heat.
Ethiopian Opal is a more stable Opal than others. They are not so fragile when it comes to heat changes. **Opals are not a super soft stone (5.5-6.5 Mohs, **for comparison Turquoise is 5-6). Opal is durable and not commonly prone to cracking. Cracking more or less depends on the cut of the stone and how it was stabilized prior to it being cut. Opals are wonderful gemstones that do not lose any value and are perfect heirloom pieces. Please note that you should always care for your opals, but do not leave them in oil or water. Do not clean them with harsh chemicals or ultrasonic cleaning.
Damaged or Broken Jewelry:
If your jewelry is broken or damaged after it is in your care please notify me. I may be able to get you a replacement stone. I do charge for ALL replacements, shipping and repairs depending on the damage. Please take pictures of your jewelry and email them to me along with a detailed message. Do not send me your jewelry without discussing the details prior it will be sent back with our repairs. You are responsible for all shipping charges.