How to Take Good Care of Opal Bracelets

Are you looking to add a bracelet with opal gems to your jewellery collection? Well, it’s no secret that opal is one of the most vibrant gemstones on the market; most people have no idea how to care for them. Like any gem, years of neglect can slowly chip away at its’ appeal (and its value).

If you want to preserve your precious collection of opal jewellery, you would want to learn a thing or two about taking care of this gemstone.

What’s so special about opal jewelry?

Opal stands out among most other types of gemstones due to its’ high aesthetic value. For this reason, they are often cut and fashioned into various types of jewelry. From the time it is mined, great care must be exercised to preserve its’ natural beauty.

Among the most distinctive features of opal gems are its’ colour, which can be described as vibrant and dynamic. The colour itself varies from white to black. Opal does a beautiful job of reflecting light thanks to the moisture confined within the stone. Hence, miners had to be very careful when polishing it. Any crack on the surface can sap the colours out of the gem (along with its’ value).

An opal bracelet can have one or more gemstones depending on its’ size and design.

So how do you care for opal jewelry?

One of the first things that people should know about opal is that it’s an extremely delicate gem to work with. Even the act of wearing them can damage the stone’s surface due to the natural oils secreted by the skin. Hence, jewellery experts often recommend limiting the amount of time spent wearing them. That is to say; you should reserve wearing opal jewelry only for special occasions.

Similarly, you would want to avoid immersing opal gems on any liquid as it’ll damage its’ surface. Don’t forget to take it off at night and let the gem air dry before storing it.

Now you might be wondering — what if your opal bracelet becomes dirty and you want to clean it right away? While water and an extra toothbrush work well for most other types of jewelry, that is not true for opal. Brushing with regular water can be too abrasive, and you might end up damaging the gemstone.

If you must clean your opal bracelet, it is recommended that you use a particular jewelry cleaning solution. These are specifically designed to clean gemstones, and you can get one created for opal. Better yet, you can take it to the jewellery store you’ve bought it from to see if they sell specialized cleaning products that you can use. They might even offer to clean your jewelry at no cost. Either way, you’d be able to get your opal bracelet cleaned while minimizing any risk of ruining it.

Conclusion

As you may have already realized, looking after your opal bracelet is not at all difficult. Keep the pointers mentioned above in mind, and you’ll have a vibrant gem piece that you can pass on to your family for generations to come.