Choose the opal by its colors, then the metal and your size, and learn how to wear it
Choose the stone first. Each opal throws its own colors, so look through every photo and buy the one that pulls you in, then settle the metal and the size. Silver Starry Night rings led the sales here in the year, the one with a diamond halo above all. Opal is softer than most ring stones, so plan to slip it off for the gym and rough work.
The stone: white opal, black opal and Ethiopian opal rings
Pick the opal by its play of color, the green, blue and sometimes red flashes that move as the ring turns. Most listings leave the body color to the photos, so judge it there or ask us. One ring is sold as black opal, a split shank in silver, and its dark body makes the flashes burn brighter. A few name a white opal, milky and gentler in glow. Four name an Ethiopian opal, a stone that soaks up water, so it stays out of the sink. The Legacy Estate pairs a blue opal with amethyst and sapphire.
Silver or gold: sterling silver and 14K gold opal rings
Silver is what most buyers chose, about four in five of the opal rings sold here in the year, chiefly the Starry Night. Gold holds more of the case, mostly 14K, and most gold rings come in yellow, white or rose. White metal pulls an opal toward its blues and greens, while yellow gold brings out the warm flashes. One ring each comes in 10K, 18K and 24K, and 24K is the softest gold of all. Wipe the silver with a silver cloth whenever it goes dull.
Diamonds: opal and diamond rings
Most of these rings set diamonds beside the opal, 16 of the 24. Fifteen of those list the diamonds as natural, and the Luminous ring says lab-grown in its name. Where grades are printed, color runs E to H and clarity SI to VS. The Starry Night comes three ways: silver with a diamond halo, silver with the opal alone, and 14K gold. For an opal with no diamonds beside it, look at the black opal split shank or the Golden Aura.
Your size: opal ring sizes for men and women
Order the size you wear on that finger, and every ring with more than one size offers the halves. Most rings in our men's case come in every size from 8 to 11. One silver ring goes up to 14. Rings in our women's case mostly begin at size 4 or 5, and most end between 9 and 10. Two rings show no size to choose, a silver halo ring and the 24K octopus, so give your size in the live chat when you order. To check your size, use the ring size chart or our men's ring sizer.
Daily wear: how to care for an opal ring
Opal rates only about 5.5 to 6.5 for hardness, softer than quartz, so grit and a knock on a tabletop can mark it. Slip it off before the gym or any job with tools or hot water. Every opal holds a little water, and strong heat or a sudden chill can leave fine cracks. Prongs hold most of these opals, so have a jeweler look them over now and then. The Golden Aura sits in a bezel, the snuggest seat a soft stone can have.