Featured Questions About Opal Ring

I neglected to say that the opal doesn't have to be removed to do this.

 

Thank you so much for your advice and detailed instructions. I don't have a lapidary shop in my area, but found Cerium oxide on Amazon and plan to order a bag since I collect vintage jewelry and will find other uses for it. The jewelry studio I'm planning to contact about testing the gold doesn't open until tomorrow, so will have to wait another day for that.

 

I've used this method on hard stones also to get rid of the filmy look. It doesn't get rid of the major wear but it certainly helps the looks of the stone and is worth the effort. Good luck. Gus

 

That is a great ring...especially the price! I found one that is real similar however, I'm still skeptical of the time period. I thought it would be older that the 70's but now that I think about, I'm a product of (close to) that time period and I'm no spring chicken.

Here is the one I saw...

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...age-14k-gold-opal-cocktail-ring/id-j_3785631/

Similar but different.

 

I ordered the off-white Super Cerium Oxide (the description said it was the highest purity), but wondered if I should have ordered the red cerium oxide instead. I'm also wondering what type of leather belt you mean. Thick, stiff leather like the photo below, which is between 1/16" and 1/8" thick?

 

Any leather with a rough texture as your photo.

 

called the suede side..

 

Wow, I think you got a real find there Joan. How lucky! Wonderful.

 

The Modernist/Brutalist textured lower part of Joan's ring points to 70s too, maybe a few years earlier.

 

Thank you Shelley for the link. I definitely see the similarities to my ring. It also makes me think that mine is 14K as marked. I didnt get a chance to have it tested yesterday, and now have a head cold that's keeping me at home.

 

Get well soon, Joan, and pamper yourself.

 

Thank you AJ, you're so kind . I rarely get colds now that I'm retired, but when I do it seems like such a luxury to be able to stay home and not drag myself to work and feel miserable all day.

 

get well soon !!!!

 

Thank you komokwa!!!

 

Yes, pamper yourself!

 

Gee! You're all so kind. I'm going to take a nap now so will be logging out for a while.

 

Yes, use the rough side. So far as I know there is not much, if any, difference between the red or the white cerium oxide.

 

It really is quite unusual... eye catching! You did well!

Leslie

 

I polished the opal using Gus Tuason's instructions for cerium oxide, and do see more fire on top. I was surprised how well it worked and it didn't take long to smooth it out. Thank you, Gus!!. I still haven't taken it to a jeweler to test the gold, but decided to order a gold testing kit since I have other vintage jewelry that I've been wanting to test. Based on what others have said here, I'm assuming it will test as 14k, but it if doesn't I'll add another post (the kit should arrive in a few days).