About Fire in Place Cultured Opals
Taking Opals where they have never gone before.
About
Opals are among the most popular and cherished gemstones, captivating admirers with their stunning sparkle, dance of light, and vibrant colors in jewelry. Jewelers are advised against casting Natural Opals in molten metal or firing them in Metal Clay, as They become mere dust. Instead, they have been advised that traditional settings, such as a bezel or prongs, are the only ways to set them.
Introducing Healing Phoenix Lapidary Fire in Place Cultured Opals, a revolutionary Opal that speaks to your adventurous side of creating jewelry. These heat-resistant Cultured Opals are 5.5 on the Mohs scale. One advantage is that the Cultured Opal structure is stronger and less fragile than that of Natural Opal.
These beautiful Cultured Opals are expertly grown in a lab for approximately 12 months. The color play results from the way light interacts with the microscopic silica spheres, which have refraction indexes of 1.37 and 1.47, giving them their brilliant sparkle.
Capable of withstanding temperatures to 1650º F (900º C) in a torch or kiln, Cultured Opals retain their vibrant color and sparkle, unlike some other gems that may unpredictably change color. Cultured Opals also allow heat applications, such as firing them in place in Metal Clay and Sand Casting , and they do not decompose or release any substances or gases when heated to these exceptionally high temperatures.
Gemological Institute Of America Certified
Cultured Opals are recognized by the GIA as high-quality synthetic mineral-type opals. Healing Phoenix Lapidary Opals share the same properties as Natural Opals — silica and a small amount of water with microscopic spheres.
Environmentally Friendly and Ethically Created
We love these Cultured Opals because they are sustainable, do no damage to the earth, and are free from forced or child labor. Because of these harmful practices in some Opal mining, we are happy to offer these Opals as a responsible alternative for your jewelry collection.
Safety Tested
Eurofins Scientific, a leading international group of laboratories providing a unique range of analytical testing services, has tested these Cultured Opals and has passed all regulations for Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), California Proposition 65, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
Be cautious, as not all cultured or lab-grown opals possess the same qualities or heat resistance.

The Variety of Opals Offered is Confusing, so
What is the Difference?
When purchasing opals, understand what you are buying:
Natural Opals are mined directly from the earth, while Cultured, Lab-Grown, and Synthetic Opals are created in a lab. These are compatible terms certified by the GIA as sharing the same properties. Imitation and Fake Opals may resemble Natural Opals, but differ chemically. They are often made from glass, resin, or plastic. See my blog, "Educating Customers About Cultured Opals, Synthetic and Lab-grown Gems in Your Jewelry"
Research and Academic Presentations
I have been a jeweler and Metal Clay Artist in the business for almost 50 years. In 2024, I received the AMCAW - Alliance for Metal Clay Arts Worldwide Innovation Grant Award for my rigorous testing of these fantastic new heat-resistant Opals and for providing extensive how-to information about being fired in place in Metal Clay and Sand Casting. The results are exciting!
In 2025, at The Jewelry Symposium, I will present and publish a paper called "Heat Resistant Cultured Opals Bust Open New Creative Possibilities for Jewelers." This opportunity to educate my peers marks new prospects for everyone working with Opals.