Is Opal the Latest Engagement Ring Trend?
It’s 2020, and everyone is looking beyond diamonds for their engagement rings. The question is “What is the latest engagement ring trend for brides to be?” There is a gem that possesses a vintage quality and has a special one-of-a-kind look. This gem is Opal!
Opal Engagement Rings have existed for like forever, but they are slowly gaining popularity again among millenials. They are beautiful, unique but fragile stones. Opal, like any other gemstone has its pros and cons so before you make your final decision, here’s what to consider.
What is an Opal?
Opals are formed from small microscopic silica spheres and contain about 3% to 10% water. If the opal is composed of spheres of uniform sizes and shapes, the opals display the famous play of colors unique to these stones and are known as “precious opals.” However, only a small number of opals (under 5%) meet this criterion. The rest are called “common opals.” Another variety called common opals are less popular as jewelry stones but occur in many beautiful colors. Over 95% of the world opals are produced in Australia, and countries such as the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and Ethiopia account for the rest.
What does an opal engagement ring mean?
If you are looking to get your fiancee an engagement ring that has a significant history tied to it, then opals are the perfect choice. Opals are steeped in history, going back to the middle ages where they were believed to posses special powers , including making the wearer become invisible.
Opals have a mystical background connected to the moon about them. If your partner has a special style and like pondering the world about her, opal is the gem to take her breath away.
Is Opal good for engagement rings?
Uniqueness
One reason opal engagement rings have risen in popularity is because it affords couples the ability to be creative, without straying too far off their comfort zones. While diamonds are known as a girl’s best friend, they are far too traditional. Sometimes, we need to ring things up and bring in some excitement with spontaneity in unexpected things. For ladies who do not want to sacrifice elegance on the air of uniqueness, white opal is the best of both. White opals are bright and bold, and classy.
Affordability
If you are on a budget, opal engagement rings provide a beautiful option when you cannot get traditional diamond rings. Depending on where you are buying your engagement ring from, opals can cost anything from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.
If you are going for a solitaire opal on the band or a line with smaller gems, the price would be affected, but after all said and done, opal is still more affordable and affords greater creativity than some other gems.
Durability
Although opals are mysterious and beautiful stones, they may not last for a long time if you planto keep them for many years. Compared to diamonds, opals can easily crack. Their colors can fade depending on whether the gem was smoked to give a darker color.Before making a purchase, do your due diligence to research about this stone and ensure your future wife is thoughtful when she wears it in the kitchen, cleaning or gardening, as this fragile gem can be easily damaged. However, an engagement ring box should help in protecting your opal at all times.
Unique Gem
Opals are loved by millenials because they are one-of-a-kind type of stone. No opal stone has the same appearance as another, so if she is looking for something someone else might not have, you can be sure opal is the choice.
The vintage quality of opal is another reason why many women love it. Back when Queen Victoria began collecting opals and giving them away as gifts, it became fashionable. If you want a feel of royalty, opals have the history that you can’t find in many other stones.
Opal Types and Value
Opals come in many varieties. Here are the most popular ones to guide you In making a ring stone choice.
Black Opals
The variety and quality of opals determine their value. The most sought after opals are the black opals. These opals have a black or dark hue background and a vivid display of their play of colors. Prices for black opals range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars per carat.
Crystal Opals
Crystal opals are the second most valuable type of opals. They range from transparent to semi-transparent and often look like have dew drops with rainbow hues floating in them.
White Opals
These opals are very popular in the United States and the most commonly sold opals. They tend to be translucent, milky white, gray, or pale yellow. Top-quality white opal should have an even, distinct color pattern. A decent quality white opal should cost a few hundred dollars.
Boulder Opals
Boulder is the variety mined with the ironstone or sandstone host still attached. This material serves to reinforce the opal which is often thin. This host usually makes the background to be more darkened like in the black opal, which makes the play of color to be more prominent. Boulder opals are usually available in irregular sizes.
Jelly Opals
Jelly opals or water opals tend to show transparency but not the bright flashes of color found in crystal opals. Oftentimes, they look like moonstones. Jelly opals are some of the most affordable pals as their price from as low as tens to the low hundreds per carat.
Fire Opals
Fire opals are the variety that have red, orange, or yellow backgrounds.It does not have any milkiness. If there is milkiness in a fire opal, it means the stone is drying out and may soon crack. Even though the play of color is visible on fire opals, their beautiful hues make them interesting to customers.
Quality Factors for Opal Engagement Ring Stones
As unique gems that opals are, it makes sense that they should have a unique grading system for appraisals. Here are some qualities to focus on when shopping for opal engagement rings.
Color
Look for opals that have intense and even distribution of play of colors across the stone. The harlequin play of color pattern is the most highly valued stone. It consists of a patchwork of flashes spread across the stone. White opals will often display pinfire, a series of bright, colorful dots. Highly valued opals are those that display a play-of-color pattern that shows red. Look for a strong red fire throughout the stone.
Cut
Most opals are cabochon cut, and this often means a more symmetrical stone which shows a smooth, full dome. This dome builds the stone’s color and fire, especially for opals that are pale. Therefore, ensure the dome is not dented or pointed unless it has been cut into a sugarloaf shape.
Thickness
The thinner a stone is, like with white or crystal opals, the more see-through it appears as their fire isn’t strong enough to reflect light back to the eyes of viewers. Ideally, an opal’s body should be thick enough so its body color or play of color is strong enough the wearer’s skin color is not visible through the stone.
More Research
Due to the fragile nature of opals. You must ensure you are getting yours from a jeweler known for dealing in the highest quality gems. This doesn’t mean that opal is a bad choice, but you should research the jewelers who have plenty experience dealing with this stone.If you’ve decided to get an opal engagement ring today for your proposal, we have the best quality opal engagement rings in the market.
1:Vintage Opal Engagement Ring Split Shank Set,Pave Set Diamond Band
This solitaire opal wedding set features mounted with a round cut 7mm lab-crated opal surrounded by small conflict free diamonds with prong settings, Crafted from 14k/18k gold
2:White Fire Opal Floral Engagement Ring Rose Gold
This is a beautiful Opal wedding ring Set,feature three marquise moissanite/white cz around the main stone each side.
3:Female Opal Bridal Set Solitaire Rose Gold,Art Deco Moissanite Matching Band
This opal bridal ring set is a combination of a unique Australian white solitaire opal engagement ring and an art deco moissanite wedding band.A perfect anniversary gift.
4:Female Opal Engagement Ring Bridal Set Rose Gold Filigree Milgrain Antique
This opal bridal ring set is a combination of a unique white opal engagement ring surrounded by halo diamonds and an marquise diamond wedding band.A perfect anniversary gift.
5:Art Deco Opal Engagement Ring Sets Oval Cut Rose Gold With Unique White Gold Band
In this timelessly romantic design,amethyst and diamonds surround the center stone, pavé-set diamonds embellish the top Half of the band, gently tapering as it rises to meet three gemstones secured by round prongs.the curved diamond and tanzanite wedding band fit well under this engagement ring