Black Flash Opal Pendant | Oval Ethiopian Welo
Description
Associations
- Planet: Venus, Neptune
- Gods/Goddesses: Aphrodite, Iris, Cupid
- Astrological Signs: Libra, Scorpio, Pisces
- Element: Water, Fire
- Chakras: Heart Chakra, Third Eye Chakra, Crown Chakra
Description
A faceted Ethiopian Welo opal with a smoke treated body, set in sterling silver. The play of color in it is real and the dark background it sits against is not, and both of those are worth saying plainly.
Opal's fire comes from silica spheres stacked in a regular lattice, small enough that they diffract visible light. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why the color shifts as you move: you are changing the angle of a diffraction grating.
The black is a treatment. Welo opal is hydrophane, meaning it is porous enough to absorb liquid, and smoke treatment uses that porosity to deposit carbon through the stone, darkening the body so the color flashes harder against it. It is a common and accepted treatment. It also means the stone should be kept out of water, since a hydrophane opal that soaks can go temporarily clear and lose its fire until it dries.
How to Wear It
- Keep it dry. No swimming, no showering, no ultrasonic cleaner.
- Opal is soft, around 5.5 on the Mohs scale. Store it away from harder stones.
- Turn it under a light rather than holding it still. That is how the fire shows.
Wear It With
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Sterling silver setting. Natural stone, so color, pattern and the exact shape of the piece vary, and the one you receive will not be identical to the photograph. Approximately one inch. The opal is smoke treated, which is a standard and disclosed treatment, and it is hydrophane, so keep it away from water.