Silver and opal is an old pairing, and a sensible one. Silver is neutral enough not to compete with a stone whose colours are already doing the work, and it is soft enough to be worked into the close bezel that an opal really wants. This page is about getting the ring right, because with opal the mount is not a detail.

The stone

2.75 carats, which is 3.02 ratti. Shape: oval cabochon. Origin: Australia. Rs. 13,750, about Rs. 5,000 per carat, reference GS-000606. This is the dearest opal in our current collection, and with this gem that always means one thing: brightness.

Specifying the ring

1. 925 sterling silver. Anything lower in silver content tarnishes badly and wears thin at the shank.
2. A full bezel. A continuous rim of silver around the stone. This is not a style preference for opal — it is protection for a gem at 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and it guards the edge where chips start.
3. Low profile. The cabochon already domes upward. Do not add height with the setting, or it will catch on everything.
4. A 6 to 9 mm shank. Balanced for a stone of this size without dwarfing it.
5. Tell the setter it is opal. No heat, no ultrasonic bath, no pressure setting. A setter working fast may reach for all three out of habit, and any of them can ruin the stone.
6. Polished, not heavily oxidised. Blackened silver suits aqeeq; with opal a brighter finish lets the colour lead.

What the ring costs

Tell us your finger size and the style on WhatsApp at +92 308 887 3888 and we will quote the mount separately from the stone, so the two figures stay visible instead of being rolled into one price. Measurements for this stone have not been recorded yet; we will measure it and photograph it against a scale at the same time.

Living with it

Take it off for washing up, gym work, gardening and anything with chemicals. Put it on after cologne and hairspray, not before. Clean it with a soft damp cloth and nothing else. Keep it out of a hot car and off a sunny windowsill — opal holds water in its structure, and drying it out causes the fine surface cracks called crazing. Our guide to wearing opal covers the day-to-day.

Why this one costs more

Opal is priced on play-of-colour above everything else, and the spread across our listings runs from under Rs. 800 to over Rs. 9,500 per carat for stones of similar size. Open this one and our cheapest opal side by side at full size and the difference should be obvious — the photographs are not colour-corrected. If it is not obvious to you, buy the cheaper stone.

Solid opal and treatment

We sell solid natural opal, not doublets or triplets. Solid opal is usually untreated, though some is smoke- or sugar-treated to darken the background; this stone has not been tested and the specification says so rather than claiming otherwise.

Ordering

One piece only. Flat Rs. 500 delivery anywhere in Pakistan, insured and tracked, dispatched in one to two working days. Cash on Delivery, seven days to return it unused.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural australian opal with a weight of 2.75 Carat. Its price is Rs. 13,750 — roughly Rs. 5,000 for each carat. Origin: Australia. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000606 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

Whoever you buy australian opal from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every australian opal for those three points before it is listed, a certificate is available on request, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. Certificate available on request. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Solid opal is usually untreated; some opal is smoke- or sugar-treated, and doublets/triplets exist — we sell solid natural opal. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.