Shine Bright This October with Opal Jewellery
- Lee Molseed
- Oct 2
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 19
Edition date: 18 October 2025
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💎 How to Look After Opals
October’s birthstone is the opal — famous for its flashes of rainbow colour and unique beauty. But did you know not all opals are the same? The way your stone is cut and set makes a big difference to how it should be cared for.
Here at West Country Goldsmiths, we often see confusion around opals, so here’s our expert guide to help keep them safe and sparkling:
❓ What are the different types of opal jewellery?
Solid Opals — cut and polished from a single piece of natural opal. More durable than layered stones, but still delicate. Doublets — a thin slice of opal glued onto a dark backing (like black potch or ironstone) to enhance its colour. Triplets — a very thin slice of opal sandwiched between a backing and a clear quartz or glass dome. These can be the most fragile.
Solid opal, opal doublet and opal triplet sat on a presentation cloth: https://www.westcountrygoldsmiths.com/booking-calendar/jewellery-consultation
❓ Why does this matter for cleaning?
Solid opals can be gently cleaned with lukewarm water, mild soap, and a soft cloth or soft-bristled brush. Remember, it is always better to be gentle when cleaning opal jewellery. Doublets & triplets should never be soaked in water — the glue holding the layers together can weaken, causing the stone to look cloudy or even separate. A light wipe with a damp cloth is best.
❓ Everyday care tips for all opals
Avoid sudden temperature changes (like going from a hot tub to cold air). Best advice is don’t take them into the bath, shower or go swimming.Keep them away from harsh chemicals, ultrasonic cleaners, and steam.Remove opal rings before washing up, showering, or gardening — soap, grease, and knocks are their worst enemies.Wipe gently after wearing to prevent residue build-up.
❌ 10 Fast-Track Ways to Destroy Your Opals (Please Don’t!)
Opals are breathtaking, but they’re also delicate. Want to know the quickest ways to wreck them? Here’s our tongue-in-cheek list of what not to do:
🧽 Cleaning Catastrophes Scrub them like they’re a burnt saucepan with a scouring pad. Pop them in an ultrasonic cleaner and let the vibrations shake them apart. Try a “DIY shine” with toothpaste, baking soda, or vinegar.
💧 Liquid Disasters Soak them for ages in hot water, then shock them with icy cold. Leave them stewing in washing-up liquid or detergent while you do the dishes. Dip them in silver-cleaning solutions “just to see what happens.”
💄 Cosmetic Crimes Spray hairspray, perfume, or deodorant after putting your opals on. Smother your hands in cream and work it nicely into the claws and settings.
🔨 Everyday Ouch Keep them on while gardening, DIY-ing, or using power tools. Leave them on the dashboard of a hot car, then wonder why they look different.
Close-up of an opal ring with significant colour damage: https://www.westcountrygoldsmiths.com/category/opal-jewellery
⚠️ Why these ruin opals
Abrasives & ultrasonics: scratch or crack the soft stone. Soaking & chemicals: weaken the glue in doublets/triplets or leave a dull film. Sudden temperature changes: cause fractures that can’t be polished away. Cosmetics & creams: build a cloudy layer that dulls the colour play. Knocks & heat: bend claws, chip stones, or dry them out.
Opals are like people — they don’t like extremes. Treat them gently, clean them carefully, and let a professional jeweller step in when they need extra attention.
❓ What if my opal looks cloudy or dull?
Don’t panic — it doesn’t always mean the stone is ruined. Sometimes it’s just residue that needs a careful professional clean. In other cases (like scratched or damaged triplets), our goldsmiths can advise on the best way forward — whether that’s repolishing or resetting.
🧑🔧 Professional Cleaning in Plymouth
At West Country Goldsmiths, we offer:
Gentle professional cleaning & polishing for all types of opal.
Full jewellery inspections to check claws, settings, and stone safety.
Bring your opals to us for the expert touch — keeping them as brilliant as the day you first fell in love with them.
💎 How to Look After Opals: https://www.westcountrygoldsmiths.com/booking-calendar/jewellery-consultation
🔍 Jewellery Myth Busters
There are plenty of old wives’ tales and “quick fixes” floating around when it comes to jewellery care. Let’s set the record straight on a few of the most common ones:
❌ Myth 1: Toothpaste is the best way to clean jewellery
Truth: Toothpaste is abrasive and can scratch gold, silver, and softer gemstones. A gentle clean with warm soapy water is far safer.
❌ Myth 2: Diamonds are indestructible
Truth: Diamonds are the hardest natural material, but they’re not unbreakable. A sharp knock on the wrong angle can chip or crack them — especially at the girdle (edge). Always treat them with care.
❌ Myth 3: All white metals are the same
Truth: White gold, platinum, and silver may look similar, but they behave very differently. Platinum is dense and durable, silver tarnishes easily, and white gold often needs rhodium plating to keep its shine.
👉 Special Offer: Right now at West Country Goldsmiths, you can rhodium plate two white gold rings for just £70 — that’s a saving of £20. Keep your rings looking as radiant as the day you bought them, at a price that makes it easy to give them the care they deserve.
❌ Myth 4: You can leave pearls in water to “clean themselves”
Truth: Pearls are organic and porous — soaking them weakens the nacre (the lustrous surface). They should only ever be wiped gently with a damp cloth.
❌ Myth 5: If your jewellery looks fine, it doesn’t need checking
Truth: Many problems (like worn claws or loose stones) aren’t visible until it’s too late. A quick inspection by a jeweller once a year can save heartbreak — and money.
At West Country Goldsmiths, we love helping our customers separate fact from fiction. If you’ve got a jewellery question or a “myth” you want us to bust, send it our way — it might just feature in the next newsletter!
🔍 Jewellery Myth Busters: https://www.westcountrygoldsmiths.com/product-page/professional-clean-polish-rhodium-plating-two-rings
💎 Opal Elegance for October — Dazzling Colours, Delicate Care
October’s birthstone is the opal — loved for its flashes of rainbow colour and one-of-a-kind beauty. Explore our latest opal jewellery in Plymouth, each piece carefully designed to show off this mesmerising gem. Click the images below to view each opal piece on our website, or click the button to browse our full opal collection.
Social Highlights
🎂 Celebrating Our Team
This week brought not one but two birthdays in the WCG workshop! 🎉
Lee — our fearless leader and master of all things jewellery.
Matt — our brilliant bench jeweller with an eye for detail.
We had plenty of cake, laughs, and well-wishes flying around the workshop. It’s safe to say Plymouth’s sparkle got an extra boost thanks to these two!
If you really must guess their ages by commenting on one of the posts, aim high — nobody ever complained about being compared to platinum. 💎
🎶 Elton John’s Jewellery Twist
You’ve probably seen the buzz online… Elton John showing off his “kneecap jewellery”! Yes, you read that right — a glittering piece inspired by the Rocket Man’s very own knee. 😄
It got us thinking: jewellery is all about expression, so what unusual idea would you turn into a show-stopping piece? Drop us a message with your quirkiest thoughts — we love seeing creativity shine.
🍒 A Cherry on Top
One of our latest favourites? A permanent bracelet with a custom cherry charm, paired with a shimmering red CZ stone. The result was simply gorgeous — a true one-of-a-kind for a very happy client.
Whether it’s a delicate fruit, a star, or something that tells your own story, we can craft a charm that makes your permanent jewellery even more personal. Call us on 01752 211580 or pop in to start your own design journey.
— West Country Goldsmiths • https://www.westcountrygoldsmiths.com
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