Ethiopian Opals are one of the newest additions to the opal family, only discovered in 2008 in the Wollo Province of Ethiopia. They are sometimes referred to as Welo Opals or African Opals.
Ethiopian Opals are usually light in colour and the high grade opals display mesmerising, at times, almost neon flashes of fire. As beautiful as these opals are, they are very temperamental and require special care and handling.
Ethiopian Opals are "hydrophane", which makes them thirsty for water. If the opals come in contact with water, they will absorb it like a sponge. If the opals are left in water and allowed to soak it up, they may lose their fire temporarily and turn yellow or brown. But don't worry, the fire and colour will come back once the opals have fully dried, which can take a few minutes to weeks, depending on how much water they managed to absorb.
Opals are sometimes referred to as "living gems" due to their ability to soak up liquids. Ethiopian opals handle gradual temperature changes well. So when drying an opal that has managed to soak up water and lose its fire, let it dry naturally. Do not try to speed up the process by placing the opals under a hot light or hair dryer.
Because of the opal's "thirstiness", liquids like perfumes, soaps and cleaning products can stains your opals and change their colour. If that happens, try washing them with warm water and wiping with a soft cloth before allowing them to dry on their own.
A lot of jewellers use ultrasonic cleaners to clean gemstone jewellery. While some gemstones can withstand it, Ethiopian opals are more fragile and may crack. To clean your opals, simply wipe away with a soft cloth.
When wearing opal jewellery, you should remember its moderate hardness and toughness. It rates 5.5 to 6.5 on Moh's scale of hardness. This puts them below quartz (7) and emeralds (7.5 to 8) and above pearls and coral (3 to 4). This means that it is best to take off your opal rings and bracelets when trying to build an IKEA bookshelf or weed your garden!
I know that this all seems like a lot of work and it may be easier to just buy jewellery featuring a tougher gemstone. But just look at this:
Personally, Ethiopian opals are one of my favourite gemstones. Their beautiful flashes of fire in all colours of the rainbow makes them so magical and unique. And if you take care of them properly, they can last you a lifetime and more.
With love,
Nina
xx
P.S. You can see Pearlberry's range of Ethiopian Opal jewellery here.
Hi, Nina,
I have what used to be a beautiful transparent white welo opal ring. It has gotten wet quite a bit during the time I’ve owned it. I wasn’t aware of the rules not to get it wet. Now all the opals are red brown and quite unattractive. I’ve tried at least 9 months waiting for the stones to dry out
to their original color but they have not changed back at all. What do you suggest I do to bring them back to their original beauty? Thanks for your response. Sincerely, Diana Russell
I have several opals that tunes yellow. They won’t turn back to original color. Help please.
I love Ethiopian Welo opals! I have been buying pieces here and there over the years, they are so pretty!!!
But I have a big concern. I was going through my jewelry box, & with several of the rings and pendants that are Ethiopian Welo Opal, the opals have turned orange. They are still translucent, but the body color is orange, making them look like a fire opal. How do I fix this? I don’t want the opals to be orange, I want them back the way they were when I bought them….
I was told at a gem show to buy glycerin and put on my opal when storing it to keep it nice. I have a large Ethiopian opal ring, and a large opal necklace that is from here on the US. Will glycerin be ok to rub on these stones?
I’m wondering how I get the opals to be clear again they have turned brown? Please help
My beautiful opal ring has yellowed. I’ve had it in my jewelry box now for 2 months and it still hasn’t changed. Jeweler never told me to keep it out of water. How long can it take to change back? Will it ever? It was so expensive !!!!
I got my opal ring wet, I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to expose them to water, I have had them laying out for several months and they are still yellow. Can someone please help me.
Hi nina, thanks for the lovely necklace and bracelet, delivery was quick, and they were beautifully packaged. Also the personal touch was so nice.
Carol.
Thank you so much for explaining this!! My fiance picked out a handmade opal engagement ring for me. The jeweler said I could wear it all the time without worry. I do take it off while showering because I’m scared it will slip off while washing my hair! Other than that, I keep it on all the time. After a couple of months, I’ve noticed that it’s turned yellow and I don’t see any more of those features in it that used to catch the light and glow. I think this explains that, though. I think I’ll stop allowing it to get wet and see what happens when it’s fully dry. I had no idea that they absorbed water!
My husband got me an opal “egg” ring for mothers day. It is not solid as it has sandstone in it. It is so special to me and has been my absolute most favorite piece of jewellery I’ve ever had. I wore it all of the time during the summer, including in a chlorinated pool. I had no idea the chlorine would affect it! What was once a brilliant flashy stone now has a brown cloudy streak going across it!
Is there anything I can do to restore it?? I was planning on passing this down to my daughter one day and hoping she would do the same! Help!
Hi Nina, I have some beautiful Ethiopian Opals but many of the beads have turned yellow. especially around the neck due to body oils. I have been advised to put the yellowed opal beads into a 100% alcohol solution that is in an enclosed container for about a week. Then to take them out and put them into a a container of uncooked rice in a dark area. Although I’ve been told this will not completely return the opals to their original luster, it’s supposed to help restore to about 80% of the original. Would you please let me know what you think of this process, or if you have any other ideas that work. Thank you, Michele Manzella
Hey Nice blog about proper caring for Ethiopian opal gem. I am from Australia and love Opal gemstones and having a opal ring as my engagement ring I feel blessed. I am looking for its caring tips and this post seems relevant to my needs. Thanks for sharing your views.
I have a loose welo opal and was wondering what type of glue/adhesive can be used to set them without any absorption or color change?
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Sangeeta
February 24, 2020
I’ll have this. I want to know that Ethiopian opal is good as gemstones or not?