Description
This is a beautiful strand of faceted Australian opal beads with solid 18k beads and clasp. This strand displays predominantly light blue, violet, green and pink hues. It comes from the Andamooka mining region of Australia and has a very consistent clear to slightly white base.
This strand is suitable for casual wear but it is something that can be dressed up as well for a night out at a special event. Australian opal most often has less color than it’s Ethiopian cousin but it is much rarer and typically more expensive. If you can find another strand like this it will cost you twice the price.
Unfortunately, the photos of this piece do not show all of the fire and color that is in the strand. Opal is particularly hard to photograph as the color it displays is not actually contained in the stone itself but a function of the light that is diffracted as it passes thru the stone. The play of color that we see is a function of structure of the material and will vary depending upon the type of light it is exposed to as well as the angle from which it is viewed.
The rondelle beads in this strand range from approx. 8.0 mm down to 4.0 mm. It is strung on a high-strength material called Spectra. It is 10-15 times stronger than steel yet flexible and light weight. This material allows your necklace to move and feel like it was strung on silk but it is much stronger and very abrasion resistant so it will most likely never have to be re-strung.
Learn more about Opal at this link.