ArtFire

Very unique handmade sterling silver ring inlaid with sugilite and Australian opal. The 3 pieces of inlaid Australian opal are an incredible neon rainbow of colors. The inlaid opal in this ring is so amazing, it's hard to believe it's real opal. The inlaid purple sugilite harmonizes nicely with the reds, violets and pinks in the opal. Australian opal of this quality is very rare and is becoming very difficult to obtain. This handmade band would also make a nice wedding ring if you are looking for a one of a kind handcrafted wedding band. The ring is 5.5mm wide at the top and is a size 6 1/4. It is available in other sizes by special order. This ring is sure to be an attention getter.

Australia accounts for 96% of all commercial opal and is the main source of precious opal. Because of the unique conditions under which opal is formed, it is nearly impossible to find two opals exactly the same. Opal is the only gemstone known to man to have the natural ability to diffract light. An opal's color is created when the voids between the particles split light entering the stone. The size and alignment of the spheres and voids, as well as the light source, determines the colors produced. To view an opal's color play at its best, the light source must be coming over your shoulder. An opal's color can cover the full spectrum of the rainbow.

Sugilite is named for the Japanese geologist who discovered the first specimens in 1944, Ken-ichi Sugi. The location of the first discovery was the Iwagi Islet in Southwestern Japan. The original Japanese sugilite samples were just tiny, yellow crystals with no gem value. In 1975, the only known deposit of gem grade sugilite was found in the Wessel Mine in the Kalahari Desert near Hotazel in Kuruman, Republic of South Africa. At first it was thought to be a very small sugilite deposit, but later found to be a commercial sized deposit estimated to contain as much as ten to twenty tons located 3,200 feet below the surface. Sugilite commands a high price for an opaque gem material, due in part to the difficulty of removing it from such a great depth.

Sugilite often contains black matrix, reddish brown or yellowish blotches. Some of the lesser grades have very light purple to white areas. Opaque bright purple stones with little matrixing or blotches are the highly valued. While almost all sugilite is opaque, a very small percentage, perhaps 1/10 of 1% is translucent. Due to it's rarity and mesmerizing beauty, this gem grade commands the highest prices. At it's peak, stones of this quality climbed to as high as $1000 per carat. Sugilite ranges between 6 - 7.5 on the Moh's scale of hardness.

sterling silver, australian opal, sugilite