Have you ever inlayed crushed opal and it looked different than you expected? Here is our tip on how to capture th...
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN SHOPPING AT THE OPAL DEALER
Product Description
Create your own custom color palette with our 10g Pick Your Own Medium Crushed Opal Pack. This value pack allows you to choose up to ten grams of your favorite medium-sized lab-created opal colors, letting you experiment with unique combinations for your projects. Mix and match from our extensive collection to find the perfect blend of colors for your inlay work, jewelry, and resin art. With this pack, you can customize your craft supplies and bring your creative visions to life at a great value.
Product Specifications
| Material | Synthetic Crushed Opal (Silica & Polymer) |
|---|---|
| Grain Sizes | Medium (1mm - 2mm) |
| Hardness | 4 on the Mohs scale |
| Heat Resistance | Up to 250°F / 120°C |
Why Choose Our Medium Crushed Opal?
- Create Your Own Palette: Perfect for experimenting with a variety of colors without committing to a single one.
- Superior Quality & Stability: Our crushed opal won't crack, craze, or yellow over time, offering superior durability over natural opal.
- Ideal for Versatile Use: The medium grain size is perfect for a wide range of applications, from ring making to larger resin art projects.
Creative Applications
- Custom Jewelry & Ring Inlay: Design your own unique pieces with a personalized blend of colors.
- Resin Art & Casting: Create stunning, multicolored resin pours, coasters, and pendants.
- Nail Art: Achieve a vibrant, custom look with a mix of your favorite crushed opal colors.
- Pen Turning: Craft beautiful, one-of-a-kind pen blanks with a unique color combination.
Pro-Tip: The opal's true vibrancy is revealed when "wet" or mixed with a binder (like resin or CA glue). For the most dramatic fire, use a dark base. For a lighter, more subtle effect, try a white or light-colored base.
Everything You Need to Know About Crushed Opal
About Our Crushed Opal
Our Crushed Opal is a high-quality, lab-created material composed of silica and polymer. The polymer stabilizes the opal, making it significantly more durable and far less prone to cracking or crazing. These are common issues in natural opals that often make them unsuitable for everyday wear, especially in jewelry that sees regular use.
Natural opal is beautiful but fragile, and many jewelers advise against wearing it daily. Our synthetic opal solves that problem. It retains the vibrant look of natural opal while offering the strength and stability needed for long-term, daily use.
Thanks to its slightly softer composition, our synthetic opal is also easier to work with. It is ideal for turning, cabbing, inlay, and other artistic applications. It resists fading over time and holds up well against common chemicals such as acetone and alcohol.
How Our Synthetic Opal Is Made
Our synthetic opal takes approximately one year to grow in a highly controlled environment. During this slow and meticulous process, uniform silica spheres self-assemble into a highly ordered lattice through sedimentation. This internal structure is what gives opal its signature play-of-color.
Once the opal structure is fully formed, it is carefully dried using controlled conditions that preserve the integrity of the silica lattice. After drying, the porous material is impregnated with a polymer resin under vacuum. This stabilizes the opal’s structure, enhances its optical brilliance, and transforms it into a vibrant, gem-quality synthetic opal.
After the opal has fully formed, it is cut into rough stones, then crushed and sifted into four optimized sizes:
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LARGE: 2 to 3mm pieces
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MEDIUM: 1 to 2mm pieces
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FINE: 0.3 to 0.5mm pieces
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POWDER: Ultra-fine particles
How Lab-Created Crushed Opal Performs
Our product photos show Crushed Opal in its "wet" state, which is how it will appear once a binding medium such as adhesive, resin, or nail polish is applied. This is when the opal’s full vibrancy and depth of color are revealed, especially under natural lighting.
Please note:
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Due to the crushing process, some pieces may appear less colorful when dry. (Incorporating the opal into your project will show its full potential)
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Fine and Powder sizes may look lighter in their dry form but become much more vibrant when used.
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Color appearance may vary slightly depending on your screen settings.
Crushed Opal Heat Resistance
Our Crushed Opal can tolerate heat up to 266°F (130°C). Use caution when applying heat, especially with tools like torches or soldering irons, and proceed at your own risk. This product is NOT compatible with borosilicate glass.
Shipping & Processing
Processing Times & Shipping Offers:
- Processing Times: 1-3 Business Days *Unless otherwise specified
- US orders over $35 are eligible for Free Ground Shipping via USPS (estimated 3-5 business days)
10G Pack Medium Size Crushed Opal
$64.00
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