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Wandering Portals · Jewelry

Why opal and moonstone glow

Neither stone is coloured the way a ruby is. The colour comes from how light moves inside it.

Stone

Move, or tilt your phone

Turn either stone and the colour moves, because it depends on the angle the light comes in at. That's why both look different in a photo than in your hand.

Wearing them

Both are softer than most gems. Opal can crack with sudden heat or dryness, so keep it away from hot water. Take either off for the gym and for cleaning.

Opals are often doublets or triplets, a thin slice on a backing. Each piece's details say which.

In short

Opal is packed with tiny silica spheres that split light into flashes of colour, its play of colour. Moonstone is thin layers of feldspar that scatter light into a soft blue-white sheen. Both are softer than most gems: opal can crack with sudden heat or dryness, so keep it away from hot water, and take either off for the gym and for cleaning. Opals are often doublets or triplets; each piece's details say which.

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