Welcome to Opal Exclusively!

Supplier of Personally & Superbly Cut Ethiopian Welo Opal

• This is a 100% natural dark Welo opal - NO smoke treatment here!! Very unusual base color with a thin black layer over a dark brown layer.

• Large flash pattern

• Strong deep red color is dominant, with traces of purple, green, & blue

• Very directional stone - better suited as a collectable rather than jewelry

• 4/5 brightness

• Low dome

• Flat back with rounded edges for easy setting

• I cut all my own stones, with each one being a labor of love

• My stones have a superb polish, with a smooth, continuous finish with no scratches or flat spots (note how smoothly the reflection of the light source moves over the opal's surface in the video)

• I don't cut for mass production, but rather to bring out the full beauty of each individual piece of rough opal

• All my opals are 100% natural and untreated

I want you to be 100% happy with your opal. Opal is a dynamic stone and the magic of its play of color cannot be totally captured in a photograph or video. You truly have to hold it in your own hand to realize its full beauty!!

If you find, for whatever reason, that you are not completely satisfied with your opal and would like to return it, you may do so for a full refund. I ask that you simply return the stone, UNALTERED IN ANY WAY, within 10 days of receipt of the stone. You are responsible for shipping and insurance costs. Once received, I will promptly issue you a refund in the same manner used for purchase.

Use & Care of Ethiopian Opal & Ethiopian Opal Jewelry

Remember 2 critical facts about Ethiopian opal:

1) The vast majority of Ethiopian opal is hydrophane, which means it has an ultra low water content and can actually act like a sponge and absorb water or other liquids. Think of it as a highly porous stone. A saturated Ethiopian opal will turn clear, but will return to its original color and fire once it has dried. The drying process may take anywhere from a day to a few weeks, depending on the size of the opal.

2) Like all opal, Ethiopian opal is a relatively soft gemstone (5.5 – 6.5 on Moh’s Scale of Hardness) and can be easily scratched. Over time, this may result in the opal losing its polish.

Therefore, please keep in mind the following guidelines to keep your opal looking great:

1) Keep the opal as dry as reasonably possible. Ethiopian opal is a dynamic stone and care should be taken to avoid prolonged contact with water or other liquids such as oils, soaps, detergents, or even perspiration! Although the opal will dry out following exposure to liquids, prolonged exposure to dirty water or chemicals (like those contained in house cleaners, shampoo, or hand sanitizer, for instance) may permanently stain the opal!

· Avoid wearing your opal while swimming in either a lake, ocean, or pool

· Avoid bathing or showering with your opal

· If you have an opal ring, take it off while washing your hands, cleaning dishes, etc.

· Encourage whoever sets your opal to use a closed-back setting that keeps the opal off of direct contact with your skin

· Clean & dry your opal by gently going over it with a CLEAN soft microfiber cloth

· NEVER use a hair dryer or similar entity to speed up the drying process in the event your opal gets saturated and loses its color! Allow it to dry naturally, which could be a few days to a few weeks depending on the stone

2) Avoid heavy physical activities when wearing opal jewelry. It is best to remove opal jewelry before engaging in activities such as housekeeping, exercise, gardening, etc.

3) NEVER clean opal jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner or steamer!