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Let's Rock => Opal => Topic started by: John Robinson on September 19, 2017, 12:14:54 PM
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I have opals for two ensembles. Are there rules as to relative weights of the pieces?
What makes a complete ensemble; ear rings, necklace pendant, bracelet, ring?
One ensemble is a set from a nice crystal opal, and I have set two pieces as rough opals, both around 4 cts. Do I need to add more stones to the pendant, to bring it up to standard? I think it would look better with more stones, but I have to account for earrings and the bracelet first.
Or is the piece below the right size for an earring?
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I don't think there is a right size for earrings. Today it is just the whim of the purchaser. I would hazard to guess that most women don't want earrings that are too heavy so I would guess that 3/4" and under is safe as long as the setting doesn't weigh too much. Of course if you are making anything for a Disneyland employee Disney does have a "proper size" they don't allow earrings over the size of a U.S. Quarter. I have wondered how women can wear those hoops that are 3" across and look heavy.
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Small is always fine with earrings my wife has on opal studs that only way about a 1/4ct each but I have seen much bigger, check out John Fords website he is an AGTA award winner for several years and works in opal. The hardest part of making opal earrings is finding stones that match well enough. Earrings above all other jewelry need to show symmetry or something will look wrong with the womans face. With opal this means that not only do you have to match the size and shape but you have to have stones with a close appearance in color, pattern, and body tone.
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I have a flat thin sheet of Coober Peady, well what's left of it. I made a largish pendant out of one part that measured 13cts and I have the remainder of the sheet I will be making earings out of the rest. It much easier to match if they are all from the same stone and its a fairly uniform stone.
I call it a sheet because after several hours of searching through various jars of rough opal it was this largish sheet for lack of a better word. Almost like a thin slab with good color over the entire piece, think it was 25cts at $5 a ct. I haven't seen another rough piece like it. The finished stone was estimated about $950 so even if a little less, I call it a win not that I plan on selling it.