Custom Made Opal Jewelry

Since Australian Opal is so versatile, Australian Opal Cutters are available to design anything! If you’re looking for something entirely different, get in contact to design a special custom opal piece of jewelry! From Opal Nose Rings to Opal watches, a variety of styles and colours is waiting.

To design Custom Opal Jewelry, it’s as simple as selecting an opal, sketching a design and having our professional jewellers manufacture a unique piece of opal jewelry tailored to your specifications.

Get an absolutely unique and precious piece of bespoke jewelry, featuring Boulder Opals, Fire Opals,Black Opal, Black Opals, Crystal Opals, White Opals and many more unique Australian Opals to suit anyone, truly stunning in colour and vibrancy.

Contact us today if you have an idea for a bespoke Opal Ring, Opal Pendant, matching Opal Earrings and everything else in between. We will make your fantasy a reality.

Australian Opal Cutters has over 60 years of specialisation in the opal business, thousands of happy customers worldwide, with our warranty guarantee. 

 

Design Your Own Opal Jewelry

Book an appointment with one of our talented jewelers today to design your very own custom made opal Jewelry.

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Choosing Your Gold Type

Gold is generally the most popular choice for bespoke jewelry; Rings, Earrings, Pendants, Necklaces and Bracelets. However, there are two things to consider when looking at gold. First, which gold carat to choose and second, the gold colour or the combination of gold colours available.

In practical terms, 18k generally holds up to everyday wear better than 9k and tends to look better than 9k as it ages over the years. This is one of the reasons why 18k is normally the preferred form of bespoke jewelry. However, 18k is more expensive than 14k and 10k, which can be a noticeable difference in a large men's ring.

Types of Gold to choose from for your bespoke piece from Australian Opal Cutters:

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Designing the Perfect Pendant

The designs presented here are "the classics", designs that have 'stood the test of time' and have proven to bring joy to the wearer and viewer alike. Designs that have already attracted your attention can be combined, modified or adjusted to create a new version. Or, you could choose to sketch an absolutely original style. If you can sketch it, we can make it!

Whatever you do, rest assured you will "know" when it is ready to go for manufacture. Once you have completed your sketch, you have the additional option of getting an email AutoCAD Render. Once you have this, you will be able to further amend or adjust your design. We can 'tweak' the rendered design until you are 100% happy!

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Designing the Perfect Earrings

For Opal earrings, it is best to look for loose opals which have the same 'fire' or flashes, so the earrings match since matching opal earrings increases the rarity and value exponentially. Once you have found your Opal pairs, simply sketch up your design. Here are some "classic" earring settings that allow the Opal to be the hero of your setting and act as simple frames for the masterpiece that is your Opal. You may like to start with one of these and add a flourish of accents to make it your own.

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Designing the Perfect Ring

Ring design can be beautifully simple or complex and sophisticated. The rings presented here represent the most successful designs we have ever produced. These designs are universally accepted, loved internationally and transcend generational bias and the fleeting fashions that come and go. Another suggestion is to look at what the wearer already enjoys. Pieces that are loved and worn continually are a fantastic 'guide' to revealing what design will be not only received with joy but loved and enjoyed for decades.

Whether you 'get creative' or 'keep it simple', you can be assured that this is only the 'draft stage'. Every ring has the option of having a CAD file emailed to make sure that there is absolutely no confusion. If you select the CAD service, you can also make changes to the design. This is great for anyone who is excited to be designing a ring but is just not 100% sure that they are happy with the design.

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The Step-by-Step Process of Making Your Custom Jewelry

1. Placing Your Order

An Australian Opal Cutters Representative will work closely with you to design your unique one-of-a-kind piece, carefully taking notes for each and every instruction you request. They then forward the notes to the Production team in Sydney, Australia, to begin the manufacturing process. You can then get a graphic rendering of your design emailed to you for final approval.

2. Wax Model

In the wax department, a hand-carved wax model is crafted by a master jeweller. This can take up to 40 hours! As each individual jewelry design has its own rubber mold hand-made.

3. Casting

The casting department then pours liquid investment metal over the wax model and into the oven overnight so the wax can evaporate. Liquid gold is then poured in to form the jewelry piece. Once the gold solidifies, the casting team breaks the investment open, revealing your design.

4. Inspection

Australian Opal Cutters trained jewellers pay incredible attention to detail, assuring each jewelry item is manufactured with the finest quality standards at every stage.

5. Polishing

The polishing department then performs cleaning, final touch-ups and polishing. Three different types of brushes are used to polish the jewelry to a mirror finish properly.

6. Stone Setting

In the setting department, the stone setter carefully sets each gem to ensure security and ensures the gems are not compromised. Finally, the piece is transferred back to the polishing department for the final finishing steps.

7. Quality Control

The piece is then inspected for a thorough quality control check. The assembly, sturdiness of the stone setting, and polishing quality are inspected to ensure the jewelry item meets Australian Opal Cutters quality standards. Each and every item also receives a certificate of value with an international guarantee and warranty that will protect your purchase for life!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does Custom Opal Jewelry Cost?

The value of Custom Opal Jewelry is difficult to assess, largely because many crucial factors affect the final sale price.

First, the opal’s characteristics play a role in determining the jewelry’s worth, including the opal's gemstone type, body tone, clarity, pattern, colour bar thickness, colour play, and flaws. Then the jewelry structure is meticulously examined and assigned a price per carat when evaluated, including the quality of the cut, polish and size of the gemstone.

Generally, opal gemstones with a black or dark body tone showcase a more vibrant play-of-colour, which is considered more valuable than opals with a white, light, or crystal body tone. As the most valuable form of opal, Black Opal may cost over $10,000 AUD per carat.

The clarity of an opal’s colour is critical when assessing the value of Custom Opal Jewelry. Red fire is the rarest colour, followed by green/orange, green/blue and blue. Therefore, a Red Fire Opal is generally more valuable than a predominantly green opal, which is more valuable than a stone showing only blue colour.

However, the brilliance and clarity of an opal’s proportioned pattern is the main decision-maker. A brilliant blue/green can be more valuable than a dull red; bright twinkling stars of a ‘pin fire’ pattern can be more valuable than a cloudy ‘open’ or ‘mixed’ pattern of similar colouration; or a brilliant, lustrous light opal can sell more than a lack-lustre Black Opal.

What is Bespoke Opal Jewelry?

The industry term for Custom Opal Jewelry is “bespoke”, which is an exciting and refreshing process that will give you a piece of jewelry that is “yours”, something that you have actually had a part in creating. Bespoke Jewelry is extremely meaningful and makes your jewelry that more precious and sentimental. See more Tips for getting your Jewelry design “just right.”

Custom Precious Opal Jewelry

There are two basic types of opal, precious opal and common opal. Precious opal displays a spectrum of colours, whereas common opal does not. The most precious opal to date has been mined in Australia as this is where the colours and patterns found are the most intense.

Some common types of Custom Precious Opals we sell at Opal Cutters:

Pinfire Opal – also known as "Pinpoint" Opal – is opal with pinpoints of colour throughout the stone.

Boulder Opal – is formed in cavities and cracks of ironstone, usually from Queensland, Australia

Black Opal or Dark Opal – are naturally occurring, rare and valuable solid opal formed in Iron oxide found in Lightning Ridge in Northern NSW. This opal has a dark body-tone colour, often black or dark grey.

Harlequin Opal – has patches of colour in the shape of rectangles or diamonds.

Cat's-Eye Opal – a rare, phenomenal opal from Madagascar, which displays chatoyancy, the optical effect that produces a thin line of bright light across the surface of a stone. The line, or the "cat’s eye", tracks back and forth across the dome of the stone as the stone and light source moves.

Custom Common Opal Jewelry

There are two basic types of opal, precious opal and common opal. Common opal does not exhibit play-of-colour, instead, it is usually opaque to translucent and brownish-orange in colour.

Common opals got their name because they are found in many locations throughout the world. Most common opal specimens are also "common" in appearance and do not attract much commercial attention compared to precious opals.

Despite the underwhelming name, common opals are still attractive and have beautiful colour, perfect for jewelry.

Some popular types of Custom Common Opals we sell at Opal Cutters:

Pink Opal – also occurs in shades of pink, common opal mined in Peru. The range in colour is from nearly white, through carnation pink, through lilac.

Morado Opal – has a purple body colour produced in Mexico.
Blue Opal – is a Solid Black Opal with the common blue covering the entire stone. Sometimes called "blue opal" or "blue on black".

Black Crystal Opal – is a Solid Black Opal, which is transparent due to little or no iron oxide on the back. Viewed from the top, it compares at least with N3 in darkness rating.

Crystal Opal – is a transparent/translucent opal. Sometimes mistaken for "Light opal" found in Coober Pedy in South Australia.

What if it is Not What I Expected?

As we make every item by hand from solid gold, we can make this item fit your exact specifications. If you do not like your item when it is completed, we will re-make the item so you are completely satisfied.

Our company policy is ‘we do not rest until you are happy’ we will even make it again if we need to. Plus, each and every item will receive a certificate of value with an international guarantee and warranty that will protect your purchase for life.

Wouldn’t I Be Better Having My Jeweller Create the Design?

Our jewellers have been working with Opals for over 60 years. We know how to set the gems without damaging them and complete designs so that your jewelry will be safe to wear for many years to come.

When it comes to Opals, we are the experts! Our guarantee is, “Once your design has been carefully manufactured, gem/s are set and polished to perfection, we will insure your design under our own international shipping policy and provide this one simple guarantee if you are not happy, send it back, and we will re-make your design.” We will not rest until you are happy!

Remember, you can book the CAD email service, so you will see exactly what your design will look like before manufacturing.