How To Dry Opals Safely

[PinkDiamond]

Now we're getting into opal-CT, with hydrophanes with cristobalite and tridymite blades on the spheres of their structure that leave larger gaps that liquids can penetrate, including oils that will later discolor them.

I also don't see how oil will aid in drying opals, but I'm a purist, and would let them dry naturally. I don't oil any of my opals, and would feel the need to disclose it if I did. Also, I don't know any pros who oil opals, either, while on the other hand, there was a seller on OA that oiled his Welos, claiming that they would crack at shipping altitudes, as if they hadn't arrived to him in Indonesia by air. He was oiling them to camouflage cracks , which to me, is all oil is good for on opals.

[SwordfishMining]

Millions of Emeralds can't be wrong. Looks sell and let the buyer beware. Lets just think about the holes in opal thing. Letting water in or out is the nature of the atomic structure positioning as also allows refraction. Unless it is "agatized" without pores and can't take or lose water, it IS some sort of a sponge structure either oil, water and sweat can diffuse into. Maybe not if its sealed in under a cerium silicon glass Bielby layer completely encasing the stone so no pure opal ever shows at the surface. I think of the electron photographs, and i was not in the lab, show something in the open structure more than an open or closed structure. Better microscopes are being made to give us more answers and more than one person is trying to crack the electrical codes that run this universe...and opals.

[Shea_O]

Today is an important day. My experiments are going well.
I have a proof of concept now after much research. Time to dive deeper.

[Shea_O]

Today is an important day. Test subject #2 has survived - satisfactorily until this point. Time only tells from now on - of my measure of success.

Now to replicate and expand some variables! So much fun! So much progress!

Oh - and here's something fun to watch for navigating youself through the internet to this post. May your receptors be rewarded

[PinkDiamond]

Nice colors in there, Shea. The colors show best toward the end of the video.