Presentation: Heat Resistant Cultured Opals Bust Open New Creative Possibilities for Jewelers with Holly Gage
May 17-20, 2025
Detroit Marriott TroyDetroit, Michigan
200 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, Michigan 48084
To Register go The Jewelry Symposium Website: 
https://www.thejewelrysymposium.com/store/

Opals are known as the Queen of gems. Their sparkle, play of light, and color are mesmerizing and alluring in jewelry. Jewelers have been told Natural Opals cannot be cast in place in molten metal or fired in place in Metal Clay, and they need to be set traditionally with a bezel or prongs for inclusion in their Jewelry. This is because it will become mere dust if you put extreme heat on it. This all changed when we discovered a Cultured Opal that can take heat up to 1650ºF / 900ºC. I put these beauties through an extensive series of tests. I’ll cover what makes these Cultured Opals different from naturally grown Opals, how to fire them in Metal Clay or cast them in place, and how to work with them during the finishing stages of adding a polish, patina on the metal, or tumbling them without injury.Additionally, we'll discuss educating customers about their choices in buying Cultured Opals or Nature Opals by comparing and contrasting the pros and cons of each choice, including issues of sustainability, ethical issues, and forced labor concerns.

Using Cultured Opals allows for:
Ease of use with additional options for setting Opals in Place, reducing production time.
Affordable choices for jewelers and customers without compromising beauty and aesthetics.
Natural Opals are 5 - 6.5. This Cultured Opal is 6- 7 on the Mohs scale, making it more durable and expanding design options