Gold Opal Jewellery
When you search for gold opal jewellery, you encounter rings, earrings, pendants, and brooches set with natural stones in gold mounts.
Gold Opal Jewellery
Gold opal jewellery encompasses rings, earrings, pendants, brooches, and necklaces originating from periods including the Victorian era, the Edwardian period, and the mid-century decades. The selections combine opals with contrasting gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and pearls.
The most common forms on this page include cluster rings, boat rings, stud earrings, and pendants featuring solid opals, doublets, or black boulder opals. Mountings span from delicate yellow gold to white gold settings executed in traditional, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and modernist styles.
How they were made
Goldsmiths utilised varying purities of gold, predominantly nine-carat, fourteen-carat, and eighteen-carat yellow and white gold, to form bezels, prongs, and intricate wirework. Stones are secured in settings designed to protect the vulnerable edges of cabochon-cut opals.
Lapidaries shaped opals into oval cabochons, round cuts, pear shapes, or freeform boulder stones to display play-of-colour. Bench jewellers supplemented these centre stones with surrounding diamond halos, ruby accents, and seed pearls.
Gold Opal Jewellery Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for gold opal jewellery among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
A swimming swan brooch holds a ruby eye and a body composed of opal, diamond, and sapphire.
What varies in quality
Quality depends on the optical play-of-colour within the opal itself, where vibrant flashes of multiple spectral hues distinguish superior stones from muted examples. The structural integrity of the stone, whether solid natural opal, doublet, or boulder opal, influences desirability.
The precision of the metalwork, the matching and clarity of secondary stones such as diamonds and sapphires, and the preservation of original hallmarks contribute to the standing of each piece.
Knoll & Pregizer
The Gold Opal Jewellery Glossary
- Cabochon
- A gemstone cut with a convex, polished upper surface rather than faceted planes. This style highlights the internal play-of-colour in opals.
- Boat ring
- A ring setting featuring a curved, boat-like profile tapering at the shoulders. These mounts frequently house rows of opals and diamonds.
- Doublet
- A composite stone consisting of a thin slice of natural opal adhered to a dark backing material. This construction enhances the perceived body tone of the opal.
- Boulder opal
- An opal found embedded in its host ironstone matrix. The natural dark backing intensifies the spectral play-of-colour.
- Play-of-colour
- The optical phenomenon where spectral colours shift and flash as a stone moves under light. This effect defines the visual character of fine opals.
Gold Opal Jewellery: Frequently Asked Questions
What periods do these pieces date from?
The items originate from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, spanning Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, and mid-century modern eras.
Craftsmanship and mount designs reflect the prevailing aesthetic of each specific decade.
How should I care for my opal jewellery?
Opals contain natural water content and possess moderate hardness, requiring gentle handling during wear and cleaning.
Avoid harsh chemical dips, ultrasonic cleaners, and sudden temperature extremes to preserve the stone.
What is the difference between solid and doublet opals?
Solid opals consist entirely of natural opal material cut from rough stone.
Doublets combine a thin natural opal layer with a supportive backing to display deeper colour play.
What gold purities are used in these mounts?
Makers utilised varying proportions of gold alloy, most commonly nine-carat, fourteen-carat, and eighteen-carat gold.
Both yellow and white gold variations appear across the different periods represented.