Material Guides · 2026-02-25

A Buyer's Guide to Opal Fashion Jewelry

Why every opal piece looks slightly different, and how to photograph and merchandise that.

Opal runs through a large part of this catalogue

Opal appears across the rings, earrings, necklaces and sets - it is one of the defining materials of the range rather than an occasional option.

Colour play is internal, so no two pieces match exactly

The shifting colour inside an opal comes from its internal structure, which means variation between pieces is inherent to the material. This is worth stating in your own product copy, because a customer who expects two identical stones will otherwise read natural variation as a defect.

Photographing opal

Opal photographs badly under flat lighting, which kills the colour play that is the entire point of the stone. Use a raking light and move the piece until the fire shows, then shoot. A short video does far more for an opal listing than a still image.

Setting and care

Opal is softer than cubic zirconia and moissanite, so it is set with more protection around the girdle and should be kept away from knocks and from long exposure to heat. Advise customers to remove opal pieces before physical work.

Where to Go Next

If you are specifying an order off the back of this, the OEM and ODM page sets out the sequence from enquiry to shipment, and the full catalogue lists all 1,396 styles we currently make.