[Jewelry making - Article 00194] - Re: [Orchid] Opal Setting?

[Dave Sebaste]

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>     I am curious as to how you would describe a stone that is 
>
>	 1. Not very hard, 5 to  6/12
>	 2. Not tolerant to heat or cold
>	 3. Not tolerant to low humidity
>	 4. Not tolerant to vibrations (IE ultrasonic cleaning)
>	 5. Not tolerant to oil, soap or most chemicals
>	 6. Porous, and prone to staining
>	 7. Not very tough, will knap off sections with little pressure.

    With all due respect (and I mean that), Don, I feel you're feeding
    the phobia. 

    1. I think that's fairly hard... of course, not like corundum or
    diamond! But also not as soft as turquoise, lapis, malachite,
    fluorite (?!?), which are frequently used in jewelry. 

    2. Not tolerant to *rapid changes* in temperature, or temperatures
    that are basically inhospitable to human habitation. I've had opals
    in storage at both temperature extremes without a problem... just not
    shocked by a rapid change. You don't want to jump off a plane in
    Anchorage, Alaska in February, wearing the opal ring you wore onto
    the plane in Miami. 

    3. Hmmm... if you're talking about an environmental extreme, I'd
    again have to say inhospitable. I don't think a lot of people in the
    Sahara Desert are wearing opals. 

    4. Many stones are incompatible with the ultrasonic. An extreme of
    vibration, not normally encountered in the real world. Ordinary
    vibrations normally wouldn't be an issue. 

    5. & 6. Pretty much the same thing, and also an issue with many
    other stones. I do clean my opals and settings with dish soap and
    water... have never seen an issue. I am also porous and prone to
    staining.  ;) 

    7. I don't agree with the "little pressure" part. Sure, if the stone
    has a knife edge, but a well cut stone, with a bevel on the lower
    edge, shouldn't be a problem except with abusive setting techniques.
    I'll often set opals with a hammer handpiece... and have only chipped
    one. That was not due to the hammer handpiece, but the foolish way I
    clamped the setting (with stone in place) into the holder, putting
    undue and excessive lateral pressure on the girdle of the cab. 

    My feeling is that, as with any gemstone, one must understand the
    characteristics of the stone. There are many more stones I'd be wary
    of before opal. A stable opal is not as, I'll use the phrase again,
    "dangerously fragile" as people think, and your treatise only
    promotes the phobia. 

    On the other hand, if you succeed in scaring everyone else away from
    using opal, that will leave more for me, the prices will drop, and
    I'll have an exclusive on this truly remarkable gemstone. Keep up the
    good work!  ;) 

All the best,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans' Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave AT sebaste.com 
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com 

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