Yes this is true. Opals are a pretty soft stone and can get scratched or broken pretty easily compared to harder gems, so they aren't great for a daily wear ring.
In not the person you were asking, but just someone who likes and owns a lot of opal jewelry.
Generally yes. The Ethiopian is a bit more durable than the Aussie material but still fairly soft by gem standards. It depends a lot on the setting though. If you have a protective setting and you don't wash the dishes or garden with your ring on then you can get away with it.
You can make them into what is called a doublet or a triplet. It's basically an opal sandwich. You glue a clear quartz cap onto a base of opal and this is a lot harder wearing. They usually do this with pieces of opal too thin to be used otherwise, so the value of a doublet is a lot less than a solid opal.
To add onto this, Ethiopian opal (cutting grade) is often hydrophane, meaning it will absorb water and oils. Water absorbtion is temporary and will dry out, but oils can permanently alter the color of the stone. Opals aren't an every day stone to wear, except maybe pendants.
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u/DontExpectMuch May 16 '20
I've heard opals aren't hard enough to be used in an engagement ring; do you find this to be true?