When seeking a precious stone for your next jewelry purchase it could be easy to gravitate toward the obvious such as diamonds, pearls or sapphires. One stone you may not have considered is the opal. Opals are a beautiful alternative to more traditional stones. Like any jewelry purchase another consideration is coverage under your VA insurance home policy. Individual items valued above policy limits may require a policy ‘floater’ to ensure adequate coverage. With this in mind ensure you get a valuation when you purchase your piece.

Opals are available in many colors and grades. Most are sourced from Australia and a small number are sourced from the Virgin Valley in Nevada. There are different classes of Opal but the top grade is the Precious Opal. These are cut from rough opals and finished as solid stones. The colors are varied and spectacular. This color is the result of the effect of light entering the stone and bouncing off the spaces between the spheres of silica. The more uniform the sphere and the more tightly packed, the more brilliant the color.

Source a reputable jeweler for your opal purchase as there are inferior stones which to the untrained eye can appear to be a precious opal. Opals are a porous stone so care needs to be exercised when wearing the jewelry. Those lucky enough to own a piece of opal jewelry should have an appraisal done, and should ensure that adequate coverage is included under their VA insurance policy. Contact us for more information on insurance for precious jewelry items.