Petrified Opalwood Wide Band Ring – Size 7.75
I've been holding onto this Petrified Opalwood for a while because it is just gorgeous. There is so much happening inside this long marquise-shaped stone that it almost looks painted. Deep teal and blue move through smoky translucent areas while brilliant golden ochre markings branch, fracture and overlap across the surface. Look closely and there are tiny flashes of other colors tucked inside as well. It has the feeling of an abstract painting, but every line, color and strange little detail was created by nature.
Petrified Opalwood from Java, Indonesia began as ancient wood that was gradually replaced by silica-rich minerals during fossilization. In opalized wood, some of that replacement material is opaline silica rather than the more crystalline quartz commonly associated with petrified wood. Traces of the original wood structure can remain while mineralization introduces completely new colors and patterns, sometimes creating specimens that barely resemble wood at first glance. This one is especially striking because of the contrast between its saturated blue-green areas, dark veining and those incredible golden markings.
The long, pointed shape gives the stone an elegant but slightly fierce presence, so I kept the setting clean and let that extraordinary pattern do the work. It's bezel set in sterling silver over a wide band covered with individually applied silver details and a heavily textured surface. Patina settles into the recesses before the raised silver is polished back to brightness, giving the band the depth and contrast that has become such an important part of my metalwork.
Metaphysically, petrified wood is traditionally associated with grounding, patience and connection to the natural world, while opal is associated with creativity, intuition and emotional expression.
✧ Gemstone: Natural Petrified Opalwood from Java, Indonesia
✧ Ring Size: 7.75; due to the wide band, best suited for approximately a size 7.25–7.5 finger
✧ Band Width: Approximately 17 mm at the front, tapering to 9 mm at the back
✧ Ring Face: Approximately 36 x 16 mm
✧ Setting: Sterling silver bezel
✧ Metal: Sterling silver with an oxidized patina
One-of-a-kind and made with care in my studio.
