Ruby & Opal Marquise Cluster Ring | Sterling Silver Burton’s Gems and Opals Outlet Stores

A Bit About The Piece:

Natural Ethiopian Opal and Ruby Marquise Ring set in Sterling Silver 

Details, details…

The Stones: 

Natural Ethiopian Opal 

• stone cut: faceted marquise
• stone measurement: 5.36 x 1.99mm

Natural Ruby

• stone cut: faceted marquise
• stone measurements:  5.36 x 1.99mm

The Setting: Prong Set Sterling Silver Setting 

• .925 sterling silver, solid
• ring size: 7.00
• ring measurements: 26.11 x 17.71

About Opal:

  While many believe opal to come only in a traditional white hue, this common misconception cannot be more inaccurate.  With over 200 varieties of natural opal discovered so far, the historically referred “Queen of Gems” can come in a wide variety of colors- before the stone’s famous “play of color” rainbow effect is even taken into consideration.  Over 90% of the world’s opal is produced in Australia with other well-known deposits located in Mexico, Ethiopia, Brazil, and the United States.

Chemically, opal is an integrated combination of water and silica.  Water content in opal can range from 3% to 21% by weight, with average jewelry material ranging between 6% and 10%.  Because of this, it is advised to store your opal jewelry with care; safes and bank vaults can be notoriously dry.  We suggest storing opal in an airtight container along with a piece of water-moistened cotton when dry storage conditions are anticipated.  Some varieties are more resilient to harsh conditions than others.  It is safe to clean solid opal jewelry with warm water, mild soap, and a soft-bristled toothbrush.  Avoid chemicals, harsh abrasives, and ultrasonic cleaners.

About Ruby:

Ruby is a red variety of “corundum,” the same family of gems as sapphire.  While all ruby is red sapphire, not all red sapphire is ruby.  The term “ruby” is a rather subjective one, with many gem merchants eager to use the word liberally.  If a stone has too much purple, pink, orange, or brown (giving a brick-red appearance), it is to be referred to as sapphire of that particular color (with “brick red” sapphire simply referred to as “red sapphire”), not ruby.  Ruby is the official birthstone for the month of July.

All corundum, natural or synthetic, ranks 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and is very tough.  This material is incredibly durable and highly encouraged to those shopping around for an alternative stone for an engagement ring.  Ruby and sapphire of any color make excellent rings that can be passed down through generations.  Ruby can be cleaned with chemical jewelry cleaners without any worry.

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