4.50 CT Oval Opal Cabochon Couture Ring in 14kt White Gold.

This oval opal halo ring sets a 4.50 carat oval opal cabochon inside a halo of round diamonds, with more diamonds running down the shoulders, on a band of 14kt white gold. The 43 diamonds add 1.08 carats, for 5.58 carats of gemstones in all. Everything below describes this exact ring, which you can see and try on at our Boca Raton showroom.

The oval opal halo ring at a glance

Here are the specifications of this oval opal halo ring, as recorded for this piece.

At the center is an oval opal cabochon of 4.50 carats, held in prongs. Its body color is white, and our listing records its play-of-color as green, red and blue.

Around it and down the shoulders are 43 round brilliant cut diamonds of about 0.025 carats each, 1.08 carats in total, graded I color. Together with the opal, the ring carries 5.58 carats of gemstones.

The mounting is 14kt white gold. The ring can be sized to fit.

In short, this oval opal halo ring pairs a large, softly glowing white opal with a bright frame of diamonds, in a design that reads as both vintage and current.

Is the 5.58 carats one opal?

No, and it is worth being clear. The 5.58 carats is the total weight of every stone in the ring, not the weight of the opal.

The oval opal is 4.50 carats. The 43 round diamonds in the halo and shoulders add 1.08 carats. Together they make 5.58 carats of gemstones.

Opal is also a light gemstone. It is less dense than sapphire or diamond, so a 4.50 carat opal looks larger than a faceted stone of the same weight would. On the hand, this one fills the center of the ring generously.

A white opal ring with play-of-color

The stone in this white opal ring has a pale, milky body color, and across that pale background run flashes of green, red and blue. That shifting color is called play-of-color, and it is what makes opal unlike any other gem.

The effect comes from the structure of the stone itself. Opal is made of tiny spheres of silica packed in a regular pattern, and when light passes between them it splits into spectral colors. The Gemological Institute of America explains how that structure produces the color you see.

Because of it, a white opal ring never looks quite the same twice. Turn your hand and one flash of green gives way to another of red or blue; move into daylight and the whole stone brightens.

Red is generally the least common play-of-color in white opal, so a stone showing green, red and blue together has a broader range than many. The written appraisal describes this opal in detail.

An opal and diamond ring

Opal and diamond is a natural pairing. The diamonds are steady, white and brilliant; the opal is soft, domed and full of moving color. Each makes the other more interesting.

In this opal and diamond ring, the halo does something practical as well. A ring of small diamonds set right against the cabochon creates a bright edge around the opal, which makes the pale body color read more clearly and the flashes of green and red stand out.

The diamonds continue down each shoulder in an open scroll pattern, so the ring keeps sparkling from the side as well as from above. From the side you can see the openwork under the halo, which lifts the opal and lets light reach it.

Set in white gold, the I color diamonds look bright and clean. I is a near-colorless grade, and next to a white opal it is a natural match: neither stone competes with the other for whiteness.

Why opal is cut as a cabochon

Almost every opal you see is cut as a cabochon: a smooth, domed top with no facets. This oval opal halo ring follows that tradition, and there is a good reason for it.

Faceting works by bouncing light off flat internal surfaces, which suits a transparent stone like diamond or sapphire. Opal's beauty comes from inside the stone instead, so a smooth dome shows it better than facets would.

The dome also gathers the play-of-color into a single glowing face. As you tilt the ring, the color sweeps across the curve rather than jumping from facet to facet.

A cabochon has one more practical advantage. Opal is a softer gem, and a domed surface with no sharp edges or corners is less likely to chip in everyday wear.

About opal

Opal is hydrated silica: silica with water held inside its structure, usually somewhere between three and ten percent. That water is part of what gives opal its particular glow, and part of why it needs a little more care than harder gems.

Most of the world's fine white opal comes from Australia, where the opal fields of New South Wales and South Australia have produced the majority of the market's supply for more than a century.

Opal ranks about 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. That is softer than sapphire, ruby or diamond, so an opal ring should be treated as jewelry to enjoy rather than jewelry to forget about. Worn thoughtfully, opal lasts beautifully, and antique opal rings survive in fine condition all the time.

Opal has been prized since antiquity, valued by Roman writers for showing the colors of many gems in one stone. The old superstition that opal brings bad luck comes from a nineteenth century novel, not from any tradition among jewelers.

Solid opal, doublets and triplets

Opal is sold in three forms, and the difference matters. A solid opal is a single piece of natural opal, cut and polished on its own. A doublet is a thin slice of opal backed with a darker layer to deepen the color, and a triplet adds a clear cap on top.

The stone in this oval opal halo ring is a solid opal cabochon, set in prongs so you can see it from the side as well as from above. Doublets and triplets are usually set in closed bezels, because their layered edges have to be hidden.

That difference shows up in care as well. Doublets and triplets should not be soaked, because water can work its way between the layers. A solid opal has no layers to separate.

Solid opal also holds its value better, and it is what most people picture when they think of an opal ring.

A vintage-inspired design

The shape of this oval opal halo ring has a distinctly vintage feeling. A domed cabochon inside a fine diamond halo, with diamonds curling down open scroll shoulders, is a design language that runs from the Edwardian era through the mid twentieth century.

Look at the ring from the side and you can see the openwork beneath the head: small arches of white gold that lift the opal and let light in underneath. That kind of detail is what separates a made ring from a mass-produced mounting.

The result is a piece that does not look like this year's fashion. An oval opal halo ring built this way looked right fifty years ago and will look right in another fifty.

An October birthstone ring

Opal is one of the birthstones for October, alongside tourmaline, which makes this a natural October birthstone ring for an autumn birthday.

Opal is also the traditional gift for a 14th wedding anniversary, so an October birthstone ring like this one can mark that year as well.

As a birthday or anniversary gift, an opal has a particular advantage: no two are alike. The pattern of color in this stone belongs to it alone, which makes an October birthstone ring feel personal in a way a calibrated faceted stone rarely does.

The diamond halo lifts it above an everyday birthstone piece. With 1.08 carats of diamonds around a 4.50 carat opal, this is a significant ring rather than a token one.

An opal cocktail ring

With a large domed center and a full diamond frame, this piece works beautifully as an opal cocktail ring: the one striking thing you wear when everything else is simple.

An opal cocktail ring suits evening particularly well, because opal comes alive under changing light. Candlelight, lamplight and the movement of a room all bring out different flashes in the stone.

It also works in daylight. The pale body color and white gold keep the ring fresh and light, so it does not look overdressed with a shirt and jeans.

Worn on the right hand, an opal cocktail ring of this size becomes the focal point of an outfit. Keep other jewelry quiet, a slim white gold chain or diamond studs, and let the opal do the talking.

An oval opal halo ring is also easier to wear than most large cocktail rings. The dome sits fairly low for its size, so it slides under a cuff and does not catch on clothing the way a tall faceted stone can.

Can an opal be an engagement ring?

It can, and opal engagement rings have a long and romantic history. But it is worth being honest about the trade-off before choosing one.

At 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, opal is softer than the stones usually chosen for daily wear, and it is sensitive to knocks and to sudden changes in temperature or humidity. An engagement ring is typically worn every single day, including while cooking, cleaning and traveling.

If you love opal and want it on your left hand, we would suggest treating it as a ring you take off for chores, sports and gardening. Many people do exactly that and wear their opal for decades.

If you would rather not think about it at all, a sapphire or diamond center is the more practical choice, and we can show you both alongside this ring so you can compare.

Choosing an oval opal halo ring

When you compare a ring like this, start with the play-of-color. Look at the opal from several angles and in different light. The best stones show broad flashes that cover most of the face, rather than a small patch of color in one corner.

Next, consider the body color. This is a white opal, pale and bright. Black opal has a dark background that makes color look more vivid, and it costs far more; white opal has a gentler, more luminous character.

Then look at the diamonds. In an oval opal halo ring the halo should be even all the way around, with the small stones level and the metal between them neat.

Finally, put it on. Opal is one of the gems that changes most between a photograph and real life, and seeing the color move on your own hand is the only way to judge it. An oval opal halo ring is a personal choice, and the right stone is usually the one whose color you keep coming back to.

Caring for your opal ring

An oval opal halo ring deserves a little more attention than a ring set with a harder gem, and the rules are simple.

Clean the ring in warm, not hot, water with a drop of mild dish soap, brush gently around the halo with a soft toothbrush, rinse and pat dry. Our jewelry care guide has more detail.

Never put an opal in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. Both can damage the stone, and heat is the main thing to avoid: keep the ring away from hot water, direct sun for long periods and very dry air, all of which can cause fine cracks known as crazing.

Take it off for the gym, gardening, cleaning and swimming, and store it away from harder stones so nothing can scratch the cabochon. Have the prongs checked from time to time. We offer complimentary cleaning and inspection for jewelry bought from our store.

Seeing this oval opal halo ring in Boca Raton

Opal is the gem that photographs least well, because a still image can only capture one angle of the play-of-color. You are welcome to try this oval opal halo ring on at our Boca Raton showroom and watch the color move for yourself.

We are open Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 5:30, and Saturday, 10:30 to 4:30. Directions are on our Visit Us page.

David Stern Jewelers has served Boca Raton for over 40 years. David Stern is a GIA Graduate Gemologist, so detailed questions about the opal and the diamonds can be answered on the spot.

Sizing, appraisal and insurance

This ring can be sized to fit. The diamonds run only partway down the shoulders, so there is plain gold at the back to work with, and we confirm before any work is done.

It includes a written jewelry appraisal by David Stern, which describes the opal, the diamonds and the gold and gives a replacement value for insurance.

More opal and colored stone jewelry

See our opal doublet pendant, our white opal pendant in yellow gold, or browse all our rings.

Questions about this oval opal halo ring