Yellowing Welo Opals

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[Lulu]

Get your opals out of those jewelry boxes. They will absorb any chemicals the boxes have - the anti-tarnish ones are the worst for porous stones. Put them in sunlight and check on them after a couple of weeks. It might take some time for them to look better. What do you have to lose?

I'm not on facebook so can't access Tenner's video. Can anyone tell me the gist of what he is saying?

[Leanderlynne]

I have several and I mean several like 27 Opal rings that were purchased from Gemporia that are turning yellow. I also have quite a few colored Opals and No they don't turn colors...they stay the same...as do the Fire Opals. I remember Steve Bennett who owns Gemporia saying that you should placed a wet and squeezed out cotton ball in a small baggie (like the ones the rings come in) and seal it and place it in with the Opals. I did that for awhile and when I changed my jewelry boxes I forgot to replace it. What's really strange tho is that my Opal bracelets that were also purchased from Gemporia have never changed and are as beautiful as ever.

[Leanderlynne]

OH! And those bracelets have always been kept in the plastic baggies that they arrived in.

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I have one opal ring from here, never wore it still in jewelry box, never yellowed ( yet). Have had it for over a year. Probably will never wear it. H

[Lulu]

Ethiopian Welo opals are hydrophane opals whereas common opals and fire opals are not. Hydrophane opals are porous enough to absorb water. If they can absorb water, they can certainly absorb gases emitted by fabrics and construction materials in jewelry boxes. It is not recommended to expose Welo opals to water for any length of time. The opals can craze. I don't know what the point is to put a wet cotton ball in a bag and then seal it up. Steve Bennett is a nice guy; but, I'm not sure he's done his research on this.

[Mermaidskies]

I better go and check all of my opals..,I have many