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About
Our Opals
All of our opals are Australian Opals. We use these because they are guaranteed to be consciously sourced, find out more here
Ethics
95% of opals are mined in Australia. Unlike Ethiopian Opals, all mines in Australia adhere to strict guidelines and regulations. Therefore, all Australian Opals are considered 'ethical' or 'consciously-sourced' as across the country there are labour and environmental laws to be followed.
Durability
Many people worry that opals are very soft and therefore not likely to last long without cracking or changing colour. As well as mining practices, Australian opals also differ to Ethiopian opals in their composition. Ethiopian opals are hydrophane and therefore likely to absorb water and oils that can make them change colour and crack. However, Australian opals are typically non-porous and therefore less likely to absorb water and won't get damaged from it.
Despite this, opals in general are quite low on the Mohs scale and therefore we do recommend that extra care is taken with them to avoid scratches or cracks.
Doublets
A lot of our opal jewellery is made from Australian Opal doublets. They are a thinner slice of opal that is backed onto ironstone and provides a more affordable option than solid opal. However, we do recommend to try and avoid getting them wet due to the fact they are backed onto another material. All opal jewellery will clearly state whether they are solid opals or doublets.