How to protect and Care for Polished Welo Opals

To prevent any damage, keep the opal away from extreme heat, like a heater or direct sun for a prolonged period of time. For storage, put the opal in a zip lock plastic bag and store in a box, or drawer. This same recommendations applies if you opal is set in jewelry.
To tend and maintain the quality of your opal, it is advised that you wet your opal once every three months or so,  to replenish the moisture in the opal and avoid cracking. This procedure is not necessary with the Welo hydrophane opals, since they are able to take in moisture from the air; unless you live in an extreme dry and hot place, in which care you can follow the hydrating routine suggested above.
We have many finished Welo opals that are polished (both lose and set) that we have had for over three years which we have not rehydrated at all, and they continue to be stable and colorful.  In fact, many Welo opals become even more beautiful over time when they are given a chance to slowly dry, allowing the opals’ fire color potential to be fully visible.
The trick is to always keep the opal dry, but not extreme dryness or heat, (a rule of thumb to consider is: if its too hot for you, for example, under the extreme heat of the desert sun), then its probably too hot for your opal too. You can easily protect your opal by placing it in the shade like your pocket or bag. Another factor to remember regarding the hydrophane nature of a Welo opal, is that if you soak it in water or if you wash the opal, it absorbs water and becomes a little cloudy, temporarily losing some of its fire color and luster. In this case, there’s nothing special you need to do, simply allow a couple of days for the opal to dry back to normal.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ethiopian Wello Opals