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OPAL DOUBLET AND INLAY
A doublet opal is made up of two pieces, an upper layer of precious opal and a suitable backing. Inlay opal is much the same in that the precious opal is placed into a cavity instead of on top of a backing.
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Doublets are made primarily for a couple of reasons. One is that the opal is too thin, it can not be cut into a solid and so by adding a backing you make it thicker (and stronger). The other is that the colour of some opal will be enhanced by giving it a dark or black background.
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The beauty of black opal or dark opal is that this is already done in nature. You will notice that many black opals have a nice layer of precious opal on a base of dark to black potch. The potch is often left there to add thickness as well as enhance the colour of the opal. The only problem with black opal is that it can get pretty expensive, whereas a doublet can have the appearence of a black opal but at a fraction of the cost.
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So how is a doublet opal made? You obviously need a nice suitable piece of opal and then you need the backing. This can be black or dark potch, black obsidian, black leadlight glass or more commonly ironstone (boulder opal). These two pieces then have one side ground and sanded as flat as possible. They are then bonded together, usually with industry standard 2 part epoxy glue. The glue is often blackened to enhance the opal. Once the glue has hardened the stone is then finished off like a normal solid opal.
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CARE OF OPALS
Opal is like glass and it can shatter and crack if it falls on a hard surface. Be careful when handling a pendant etc. Hold both ends and make sure the opal does not fall. As with all opals, doublets, inlays and even triplets need a little care. The epoxy used to bond doublets, inlays, triplets and jewellery pieces is strong and durable. However, you should avoid heat and extreme temperature changes, solvents, abrasives and water. Solid opal can handle water and should be cleaned with a soft cloth and mild detergent in cool water. Clean a doublet, inlay or triplet with a damp soft cloth but do not immerse or soak in water.
Enjoy your new opal.
Opal ist wie Glas und kann zerbrechen, wenn es auf harte Oberflächen fällt. Vorsicht beim Umgang mit einem Anhänger etc. Halten Sie beide Enden fest und stellen Sie sicher, dass der Opal nicht hinfällt. Wie bei allen Opalen benötigen Dubletten, Inlays oder Tripletten ein wenig Pflege. Das Epoxidharz zum Kleben von Dubletten, Inlays, Tripletten oder anderen Schmuckstücken wirkt stark und hält lange. Sie sollten allerdings Hitze und extreme Temperaturschwankungen, Lösungsmittel, Scheuermittel und Wasser vermeiden. Voll opale sollten mit einem milden Reinigungsmittel in Wasser gereinigt werden. Dubletten, Inlays und Tripletten können mit einem feuchten, weichen Tuch gereinigt werden. Bitte nicht in Wasser legen oder einweichen.
Viel Spaß mit Ihrem neuen Opal!
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