How to Take Care of Your Mexican Fire Opal (Mexican Fire Opal)

Mexican Fire Opal



Avoid Scratches

Mexican Fire opal is a gemstone. A gemstone, as you should know, is vulnerable and this means all gemstones are not free from any possible defect. Things like scratches often happen to gemstones. Likewise, if you are not seriously take care of your precious Mexican Fire opal, not even it will scratch but to the worst, it will break! Yes, don't ever think that Mexican Fire opal or any kinds of gemstones are hard to be broken. They are not diamond, my friend. Scratch can happen if you store the Mexican Fire opal with other gemstone or anything that has hard surface. If you have more gemstones, do not place or store them together as this is the major factor that lead to scratches.

How to Clean Your Mexican Fire Opal

When cleaning your Mexican Fire opal or any gemstones, only use plain warm water or soapy water. Using steam and ultrasonic cleansing is too harsh for some gems. You should avoid them. Cleaning you Mexican Fire opal is very important to maintain its beauty. It's even more important to clean Mexican Fire opal if it's in rings as dust usually collected behind the gems

Avoid Extreme Conditions

When cleaning your Mexican Fire opal or any gemstones, only use plain warm water or soapy water. Using steam and ultrasonic cleansing is too harsh for some gems. You should avoid them. Cleaning you Mexican Fire opal is very important to maintain its beauty. It's even more important to clean Mexican Fire opal if it's in rings as dust usually collected behind the gems

Use Water not Oil!

Do you know that your Mexican Fire opal needs water? Water helps prevent opals from drying as when they dry, they have a potential to crack. So, you may want to soak your opal in water for several hours from time to time. If you think water can be replaced with oil, you are so wrong! Soaking and wiping your Mexican Fire opal and any other opals with oil will damage the opal by reducing the 'fire'. For me, when a Mexican Fire opal loses its fire, it's not 'Fire' opal anymore.

Okay, that's all what I want to say. If I found any tips and guides to protect the beauty of Mexican Fire opal, I will mention next time on my next post. :)



Mexican Fire Opal

Some Characteristics of Mexican Fire Opal (Mexican Fire Opal)

Mexican Fire Opal



Let's get to know something about Fire opal. In terms of colour, Fire opal is either in yellow, orange and red body colour. The play-of-color is not necessary as it could be with or without it. This play-of-color is due to the orderly arrangement of these spheres acting like a diffraction grating, breaking visible white light in to separate colors.

Where does the Mexican Fire opal get her name? Fire opal is usually referred to Mexican opal as the best quality or the finest Fire opal is found in Mexico. In order to bring out the play-of-colour, opal is usually cut en cabochon or polished free-form. Mexican Fire opal is transparent to semi-transparent. The transparency of Mexican Fire opal is what makes them become faceted.

If you can magnify the Mexican Fire opal, you can see inside them the "stalagmite and stalactite" formations that are probably goethite rods, along with what appear to be hematite crystal inclusions. If you are gemstone lovers, this Mexican Fire opal is a must have for you. It's rare, beautiful, unique and so special.

Mexican Fire opal is really my favourite. Knowing the characteristics of the gemstone will make you even more fanatic. The Black opal is also my favourite. Just to let you know, the Black opal is the rarest, most expensive and considered by many the most beautiful!



Mexican Fire Opal

Finding the Best Quality of Mexican Fire Opal (Mexican Fire Opal)

Mexican Fire Opal



Looking for the best gemstone is undeniably difficult. However, as you equipped yourself with at least the basic knowledge on determining the quality of a gemstone, it will surely help you to make decision.

The quality of some stone would be known based on the clarity of its colour. Like Cherry red, the more pure and darker the red shows you its high quality and value. Likewise, this is so true in determining the quality of Mexican Fire Opal. When you are deciding on buying Mexican Fire Opal, I recommend the Fire Opal which has the clear red that has a full play of opalescent colours which seem to just float inside the stone and change with every movement. Yes, as you can guess, this type is rare so it is quite expensive.

Well, I know some people who think that Mexican Fire Opal has been artificially coloured to orange. This is not true. If you feel suspicious on how the orange colour turns up, actually the polishing is what brings out the "fire". Remember, Mexican Fire opals are natural gemstones. It's not manmade stuff.

Anyway, this is just my recommendation. If you've something better in your mind, just go on with your choice.


Image source: http://www.tigersoftware.com/TigerBlogs/4-29-2008/

Mexican Fire Opal