Choosing Well Cut Australian Black Opal Jewelry

Why is it that when you are shopping for Australian black opal jewelry that some gem stones look better than others? It all has to do with the way the stone itself is cut. Whether you are examining black opal bracelets, rings or necklaces it is not the setting that counts but rather the stone's ability to refract a full spectrum of rainbow colors.

You will never ever find faceted australian black opal jewelry so stop looking for it! This is because all opals, with the exception of the fire opal, are not hard enough to cut the same way you would a diamond or ruby. Even fire opals are cut with great care.

Most large opals are cut into a half dome shape that is a round or oval cabochon. However it is much more common to find australian black opal jewelry that is inset with stones that look like flat multilayered lenses. This is because black opals are found naturally in pancaked layers of minerals and mined in these lense shapes.

Opals that are backed by a harder rock to give them more strength are called opal-doublets. Black opals are often mounted on black glass, obsidian or onyx to protect them from the back and make the ring more comfortable to wear. Some kind of protective treatment in the form of rock crystal, plastic, hard glass or lead glass may also be laid over a black opal to protect it from damage. Australian black opal jewelry that contains both treatments is called opal-triplets. It is very common to find both opal-doublets and triplets in inexpensive mass produced black opal bracelets, rings and pendants.

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