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 Post subject: Interesting Hydrophane Opal Reaction To High Humidity
PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:33 am 
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Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:20 pm
Posts: 67
Location: ND
In the winter, when I turn the heat on I typically take wet a paper towel, ring it out so it is slightly slightly damp to the touch, and put it in the opal gem box. I normally have just LR opals in there, and they like the extra humidity in the dry dry winter months. I lay it on the bottom, and the matting is a plastic mesh with felt on the top where the opals lay, then a plastic lid like a large gem box.

So I did this last night, and my welos are in with the LR opals. I woke up this morning, and looked at the opals (They are sitting on my TV stand as a display) and noticed the outer rims of the welos are completely clear, where they were a transparent white base before (or slightly green/honey). The center of the stone is still the normal base. I open the box, feel the felt and it is dry and there was no condensation on the plastic case. Took the opals out, and let them air dry for 2 hrs and they turned back to normal.

So apparently, hydrophane opals will absorb humidity as well, and have the same effects as submerging in water. Although it seems the effects are less (or slower acting, I am not sure of the results if I left them longer), and they recover quicker.

Maybe good to know if selling in a high humidity climate!

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