dull opal

[mata hati]

I've just inherited an antique opal ring. The opal is dull and the surface worn. It has no chips or cracks and looks to have lovely colour flashes when held to the light. Is there anything I can do to polish the stone up a bit at home. I cant afford to go to a jeweller !

[Therema]

I hope you get some good answers to your question as i have a very old opal ring i bought from ebay a few yrs ago and its the exact same, id love to know how to brighten it up

[terambulan]

The blue opals are the rarity. All jewellery opals have a sheer resin covering.

Buy some resin (in craft shops) and cover top of opal with it.

[JCL53]

Have a look here .Your ring could be a solid opal and messing about with it could ruin it .I would take it to a jeweller .You can always ask for an estimate first .
http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/articles/care .php

[showcatbenga]

Softer materials, such as opal, require treatment more like that accorded cut glass, and soft abrasive powders, such as pumice, suffice to polish them &should be used with water or oil to give it a creamy consistency. It should be backed by laps of different materials for different purposes. You can use a domestic drill, but by the time you've paid for the special abraisives you may as well pay the jeweller!
I would try jeweller's rouge on a cloth. This is designed to polish up gilver & gold jewellery removing the fine scratches of everyday wear & tear. Polish in a linear direction not round & round. Then keep your jewellery seperately boxed when you're not wearing it to prevent further scratches & keep opal, pearl,amber, mother of pearl shell out of sunlight because they will lose their shine & colour. Ditto for doing housework & washing up - take off your rings unless they're diamond!.

[mata hati]

Thank you all so much for responding to my question!
I think I will try the jewellers rouge first showcat as that seem the gentlist thing to do - if not - perhaps I'll have to see the jeweller after all ! and i'll always have the jewellers rouge to clean my other pieces !!

[masma]

Many years ago I worked in a jewelers and unerstood that the reason opals were meant to be unlucky was that they are a soft stone and absorb oil from the skin, this makes them loose colour and devalues them. Don't know if it's true or not but it could make sense.

[mata hati]

hello masma - it could be the case as the ring is stamped for 1897 !

[Dolly1308]

Why not take your Opal ring to a Jeweller for valuation before you do anything to it at home ! You might lessen the value of it otherwise - I live in Australia and Opals are not cheap ,I certainly wouldn't try any anything stronger on mine than what the Link from JCL53 advises.