You have just purchased an extremely rare and precious Queensland ironstone opal.

There is no other stone like it in the world. You take it home, and now you want to know how best to care for it. Opal is a relatively soft stone in the world of semi-precious gemstones. It can scratch and crack if it is dropped. It is a brittle stone.

If you have set your opal into a ring, you must remember that is cannot take hard knocks. A butcher friend of ours wanted an opal ring to wear all the time. Mac had to tell him in all honesty that his meat market trade would knock the stone about too much. He talked himself out of a sale, because of his integrity.

How, then, do we care for our opal? Keep it separate from other jewellery and, like pearls, never leave it on a hard surface. This way we avoid scratches. Put your jewellery on after you are dressed and ready to go. This way we avoid chemicals from sprays and make-up which can harm the stone. It goes without saying that we never wear our jewellery when we are house cleaning or gardening. Clean your exquisite piece with a toothbrush and hot, soapy water. Rinse and polish with a soft cloth.