Know how to identify antique opal rings

Posted by SharonEvans on January 21st, 2013

Although opal has recently gained popularity in jewellery making the stone has been in use for ages for making all kinds of jewellery. It is just that people are so fascinated with diamonds and sapphires and rubies and emeralds that they usually don’t consider opals. However, an antique opal ring can really cause awe when you look at the right pieces. Go through the some opal jewellery UK websites and you can see for yourself.

But before you start considering an antique opal ring you should know what to look for in an antique ring. Otherwise anyone can sell you an old looking ring by passing it on as antique. While there are some established names in opal jewellery UK there are some nouveau ones as well. It is possible that you fall in love with one of the antiquated opal rings of these new jewellery makers. Hence, it is well worth getting to know what to look for.

Getting to identify the markers is one of the best ways to differentiate an antique opal ring from a new one. Most of the jewellery makers have their hallmarks on their rings and other items of jewellery that help people to identify the rings as authentic. Hallmarking started in the UK in 1300 and the regulating law came into force in 1973 through the Hallmarking Act. Although hallmarking was not required by law prior to 1973 all the big names in opal jewellery UK would have still used their hallmark of authenticity. To give you an example, in an opal ring made of 14 carat gold a stamp with a crown and the numerical 14 would be there.

The other way to identify an antique opal ring is to go through the description of the rings. When you visit the opal jewellery UK websites and click on the image of one of the rings you will get to see an entire page dedicated to describing the ring. This is where you will get to know whether the ring is antique or not.

Of course, you need to identify the authenticity of the jeweller too. As mentioned there are numerous jewellers in the UK and most of them have their own websites. You can go through these websites, look at the products and read independent reviews in other websites to identify the best jewellers. In fact, buying jewellery from an online store is much safer than buying from an actual jewellery store because you have so much access to information.

An antique opal ring can be considered as an excellent gift. Thanks to opals being mined in so many countries of the world, especially Australia, their popularity has soared now. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds are mightily expensive and may not fit budgets that easily. When you visit some opal jewellery UK websites you get to see so many fantastic options in opal rings that you immediately want to pick up one of them. And when you see an authentic antique ring in opal then the desire becomes all the more.

While ruby rings are still among the most coveted rings there are other gemstone rings that are becoming more and more popular.