For any artist working with inlay, the goal is to create a piece that is not only beautiful but also durable and professional. While natural opal is stunning, its inherent properties can present challenges. Lab-grown crushed opal, however, is engineered specifically for artistry, offering practical advantages that make it the superior choice for jewelers, ring makers, and woodworkers alike.
Here are four key reasons why professionals and beginners alike choose lab-grown opal for their inlay projects.
1. Unmatched Durability and Stability
Natural opal's beautiful, fiery depths come from its water content, which can range from 3% to over 20%. Unfortunately, this also makes it incredibly fragile and susceptible to cracking or "crazing" from changes in temperature or humidity. Our lab-grown crushed opal contains no water. Instead, it is stabilized with a polymer, creating a tough, resilient material that will not crack or dry out over its lifetime. This ensures your finished piece remains stable and beautiful for years to come, even with daily wear.
2. Flawless Consistency for a Perfect Finish
Achieving a uniform, seamless look is critical in high-quality inlay work. Lab-created opal is grown in a controlled environment, giving it a consistent pattern and fire throughout. When you inlay small pieces (from 0.5mm to 2mm) into a ring channel or other void, you are guaranteed a smooth, uniform appearance without any patchy or dead spots. This allows for a predictable, professional result that is difficult to achieve with the randomness of natural opal chips, all while maintaining a spectacular brilliance.
3. Superior Workability and Tool Life
While natural opal has a Mohs hardness of 5.5-6.5, our lab-grown crushed opal is slightly softer, at around a 4. This might not seem like a major difference, but it provides a significant advantage during the creation process. This superior workability means the material is easier to sand, shape, and polish to a perfect finish. More importantly, it causes significantly less wear and tear on your valuable tools, prolonging the life of your sanding belts, grinding bits, and polishing pads, which saves you both time and money.
4. An Ethical and Sustainable Choice
Choosing lab-grown opal is a decision you can feel good about. The primary component, silica, is the most abundant element on Earth. By creating opal in a lab, we bypass the environmental risks associated with mining operations, such as soil erosion, habitat disruption, and water contamination. Our lab-grown opal offers all the beauty of this magnificent gemstone without the ecological cost, making it the responsible choice for the modern artist.
The Clear Choice for Quality Inlay
While the organic beauty of natural opal will always have its place, lab-grown opal provides a combination of durability, consistency, and workability that makes it the clear and intelligent choice for inlay art. It empowers you to create stunning, reliable pieces with confidence and precision.
