Woman's sterling silver topaz ring inlaid with turquoise and

Unique handmade woman's sterling silver blue topaz ring inlaid with Australian opal and spiderweb turquoise. A sparkling .75 carat trillion cut blue topaz is accented by 2 pieces of inlaid blue Australian opal and 3 pieces of inlaid spiderweb turquoise. The Australian opal is deep blue with flashes of green coming through. The turquoise inlay is sky blue with black webbing. The contemporary ring design features a space between the two sides of the ring which makes the topaz appear to float. It also allows for the the size of the ring to be adjusted slightly without having to size it. This ring is a size 6 1/2 but can be special ordered in other finger sizes and other colors of inlay materials. The ring measures 16mm at its widest point and tapers to 4mm at the bottom of the shank. Australian opal information Opal is a tightly packed array of millions of spherical particles of amorphous silica (SiO2 NH2O). Opal has a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on Moh�s Scale. It is the only gemstone known to man to have the natural ability to diffract light. An opal�s color is created when the voids between the particles split light entering the stone. The size and alignment of the spheres and voids, as well as the light source, determines the colors produced. To view an opal�s color play at its best, the light source must be coming over your shoulder. An opal�s color can cover the full spectrum of the rainbow. Opal has been mined worldwide; however, Australian opal mines account for 96% of all commercial opal and are the main source of precious opal. Opal is mined in many locations throughout New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. The main areas of opal production are Mintabie, Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Queensland. Most opal in Australia is found in Cretaceous rock with one exception; opal from the Mintabie area is found in Paleozoic rock. Opal may form in vertical or horizontal seams in the sandstone as well as in fossilized formations. Because of the unique conditions under which opal is formed, it is nearly impossible to find two opals exactly the same.