Ethiopian deals Opal Stacker Ring (Genuine 'Yita Ridge' Ethiopian Opal), 3mm x 0.06 Carat, Round Cut, 14K Gold and Sterling Silver Stackable Ring

Here's another in my range* of handmade stackers in sterling silver and 14 karat gold. This one features an Ethiopian opal set in 14 karat solid gold, on a sterling silver band, along with an 18 karat gold leaf 'decoration'.

Unlike any other gem, Ethiopia's famous 'Yita Ridge' opals display an iridescent inner fire of intense colour : neon greens, reds, blues, yellows, purples, aquas, pinks, and almost any other colour each stone's unique refractive properties can imagine. Curious about how an opal 'works'? Something like this ... when everyday light waves enter an opal, they diverge off the facets then bounce around among all the tiny sphere-shaped silica molecules that make up the mineral. As the light passes through these tiny globes it diffracts (splits). In other words, like a prism, the globes split the white light into all the colors of the rainbow. Eventually these coloured waves bounce back out the top of the stone, at which point we get an eyeful of what is called the 'play-of-colour'. The opal is the only known gemstone that is able to naturally split light in this way. If you'd like to see the effect on film, have a look at this little video of an Ethiopian opal in action ... (sorry, you'll need to copy'n'paste) http://salonpetite.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/ethiopian-yita-ridge-fire-opal-in.html

The opal in this ring measures 3mm in diameter and weighs 0.06 carats. It was earth-mined at Mezezo, in Ethiopia's Amhara region, known to gem collectors as 'Yita Ridge'. The opal is 100% natural and untreated - its a tiny connoisseur gem, flawless internally and externally. For such a tiny stone it sure entertains though. Twirled under lights it releases a mesmerising show of colours, mainly fluorescent greens and oranges along with flashes of purple, pink, scarlet, yellow and blue.

The 1.5mm diameter band is made from sterling silver. It's round profile, smooth, highly polished, and weighs 1.4 grams. The bezel holding the opal is solid 14 karat gold. It measures 3mm wide x 3mm high. This leaves the top surface of the tourmaline around 4mm above the top of the wearer's finger, making it a very 'low profile' design suitable for everyday wear. The decoration on the band is a stylised leaf, set adjacent to the bezel. It's handmade from 18 karat yellow gold sheet welded on top of a sterling silver leaf of the same size, so as to leave the latter's polished silver edge visible. Viewed from the side this silvery streak appears part of the band and so (visually) helps pull the different coloured metal components of the ring together. That was the idea anyway.

Presentation for the ring includes a hinge-lid gift box lined with colour coordinated Japanese Unryu papers. Unryu is a handmade designer paper that contains strands of plant fiber for deals colour and contrast - very pretty. Dressing up my jewellery for display and gift-giving is one of my favourite parts of the Etsy process. If you'd like to see a photo of the style of presentation do please drop me a line and I'll be pleased to send you a photo!

Sizing ...
The inside diameter of the pictured ring is around 15.5mm which translates to the following sizes :
Size ... 5 (US)
Size ... 9 (Asia)
Size ... J 1/2 (United Kingdom & Commonwealth)

Resizing ...
If you like this ring but it's not the size you want I'll gladly recreate it to any size you specify at no additional charge. Just let me know at the checkout by specifying the size you require and whether the measurement system you use is [US] or [Asia] or [United Kingdom]. It usually takes me about a week to recreate a ring like this one - including time spent tumble-polishing the piece up to a super shiny finish - so please allow a little extra time for delivery in this cases.

Other Stackables ...
* ... the last five photos feature examples of other Salon Petite stackers. You can explore these and many others through the following link, if you're interested - all handmade, all featuring small but connoisseur gems from the Salon Petite collection ... www.etsy.com/shop/salonpetite?section_id=24961621