Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Not your average ring...
Yes, I know, they should be a girl's best friend... but I've never been a very traditional kind of girl. I'm smitten with my non-diamond engagement ring.
Not only is it a fiery rainbow gem, but it has a rich family history.
The gem is a fir
e opal. It belonged to his Yia Yia (his Greek Grandma) and the ring was given to her when she was nine years old by her Godmother. The gem is well over 100 years old.
Opal is from the Sanskrit "upala" meaning "precious stone."
"Fire opals are unique in the lush world of the opals. They were already admired as symbols of the most fervent love in ancient times, in India and in the ancient Persian kingdom, and among the peoples of Central America and the Amerindians. It was believed that a gem that bubbled over with vivacity to such an extent as the fire opal could only have been created in the waters of paradise." --from gemstone.org
Fire opal is more of a hard gel than a gem, and it is a low-temperature mineral and thus very brittle. You actuall
y store fire opals in water. As opals age, they can become cloudy and cracked due to a loss of moisture. This fire opal is encased in glass, a common practice similar to doubleting. The glass supports the fragile opal.
The only way to tell if the gem was done well is to see if the gem lasts. That's it. No other test. Since this gem is still beautiful and clear-- I can assume it was done very well.
Fire opals were all the rage for Victorian love tokens. Most of the opal rings were really small slivers of opal, and my stone is fairly large. For the time it was created, it was worth a pretty penny then. It's worth a lot now, but it means so very much to me because it is a heirloom.
The setting of the ring is new, and a contemporary take on Art Deco. It showcases the opal beautifully, and suits my personality. I love that it is a quirky ring. The colors in the gem change depending on the lighting, and maybe even my mood! It contains pink, blue, green, purple, gold, and orange.
The gem was set at Von Bargen's Fine Diamonds and Jewelry, a three time winner of Harper's Bazaar "Best place to shop for jewelry in America."
Christopher obviously had some fun in Photoshop with the photos below.
Bling is shiny! Ka'pow!
Green Lantern ain't got nothin' on me.
Maybe he doesn't have anything on you, either! Do you have a non-traditional engagement ring? I'd love to hear the history of your ring!
Not only is it a fiery rainbow gem, but it has a rich family history.
The gem is a fir
e opal. It belonged to his Yia Yia (his Greek Grandma) and the ring was given to her when she was nine years old by her Godmother. The gem is well over 100 years old.Opal is from the Sanskrit "upala" meaning "precious stone."
"Fire opals are unique in the lush world of the opals. They were already admired as symbols of the most fervent love in ancient times, in India and in the ancient Persian kingdom, and among the peoples of Central America and the Amerindians. It was believed that a gem that bubbled over with vivacity to such an extent as the fire opal could only have been created in the waters of paradise." --from gemstone.org
Fire opal is more of a hard gel than a gem, and it is a low-temperature mineral and thus very brittle. You actuall
y store fire opals in water. As opals age, they can become cloudy and cracked due to a loss of moisture. This fire opal is encased in glass, a common practice similar to doubleting. The glass supports the fragile opal.The only way to tell if the gem was done well is to see if the gem lasts. That's it. No other test. Since this gem is still beautiful and clear-- I can assume it was done very well.
Fire opals were all the rage for Victorian love tokens. Most of the opal rings were really small slivers of opal, and my stone is fairly large. For the time it was created, it was worth a pretty penny then. It's worth a lot now, but it means so very much to me because it is a heirloom.
The setting of the ring is new, and a contemporary take on Art Deco. It showcases the opal beautifully, and suits my personality. I love that it is a quirky ring. The colors in the gem change depending on the lighting, and maybe even my mood! It contains pink, blue, green, purple, gold, and orange.
The gem was set at Von Bargen's Fine Diamonds and Jewelry, a three time winner of Harper's Bazaar "Best place to shop for jewelry in America."
Christopher obviously had some fun in Photoshop with the photos below.
Bling is shiny! Ka'pow!
Green Lantern ain't got nothin' on me.
Maybe he doesn't have anything on you, either! Do you have a non-traditional engagement ring? I'd love to hear the history of your ring!
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