About Opals : Care for your opals.

With care, opals will retain their original appearance indefinitely. Opal care is not difficult and you should treat your precious opal with the same care and respect as you would with any fine jewelry. Solid opal does not need any special conditions, but it is advisable to avoid impacts and knocks.  If you live in an extremely arid climate it is a good idea to leave your solid opal in a glass of water overnight to rehydrate it (opal contains between 6% and 10% water). If your piece of opal jewelry is starting to look a bit dull, simply use water with a drop of mild detergent in it and brush it gently with a soft toothbrush, then rinse in clean water. Water will not harm solid opal.

Doublets and triplets can be wiped with a damp soft cloth but should not be soaked in water. The moisture may get between the layers making up the stone and spoil it’s appearance, or cause the bonding material holding the layers together to dissolve.

Opal has a hardness of about 5.5 to 6.5 measured on the Mohs' scale of hardness. Compared to this diamonds are harder at about 10, garnets, the same at about 6.5 and gold is much softer at about 2.5 - 3. Therefore, opal like any other gemstone can be broken, chipped, scratched, or lose its shine with heavy wear and tear. Sand and soil are abrasive and ultimately will scratch the surface of the finely polished stone not to mention any gold or silver with it. An accidental hit or knock could crack the stone or damage the metal claws holding it into the setting .Treat all jewelry with respect and take it off before engaging in any of these activities.