Care Instructions: Specimen Grade Opals
- Specimen Grade Opals must be kept wet: store them in water ensuring they are fully submerged
- Specimens must be kept wet at all times as dehydration can quickly damage the opal structure; even when viewing ensure the opal has a layer of water around it. Dipping it in water while viewing is necessary.
- Tap water is what we use to store our Specimens. Simply fill your jar or container to a level above your specimen so it is submerged.
- Change out your water whenever it gets cloudy from matrix (host material that surrounds opal) particles that may detach.
The Different Opal Types
Specimen Opals
Opals were born of water and silica and some need to stay in their natural element. Specimens are for all the collectors out there that love to display their Opals but don't need to wear them. These opals need to stay hydrated in water, dehydration can result in damage to these opals. No worries though, every Specimen Opal order comes with a jar!
Jewelry Grade Opals
Jewelry Grade Opal is older and more stable than Specimen Opals, so they should be kept dry. This is the opal you want to set into any wearable jewelry!
Stayish Opals
Stayish Opals were discovered in 2013 and are in-between jewelry and specimen grade opals. They are extremely rare and are the darkest black opals found in Ethiopia. Stayish opals need to be kept dry like jewelry grade but they're quite fragile, so cutting/polishing is generally not recommended.
Frequently asked questions
All of our opals are ethically sourced from Ethiopia.
Specimen grade opals need to be kept in water to avoid cracking and discoloration.
Stayish Opals are very rare, so our stock of them is quite limited. Because of this, we currently only sell them during live sales and Instagram posts.
A parcel is a collection of small opals (usually 3 to 5) rather than one individual opal. Think of it like a bundle package!