Petrified Opalwood with Copper Wide Band Ring – Size 9.25
This Petrified Opalwood has such a wild mix of color and texture packed into one long, narrow stone. Vivid turquoise and blue-green run through darker smoky areas, with patches of creamy aqua and earthy brown breaking through the surface. Then there are the tiny flecks of actual copper scattered through the stone, catching the light with little metallic flashes of warmth against all of that saturated blue. The whole thing has a fractured, almost mosaic-like appearance, as though little pieces of color, mineral and metal were captured together and frozen in place.
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, and the mineral-rich environment can introduce a remarkable range of colors and inclusions as the original organic material is replaced. This specimen also contains natural copper inclusions, an unusual detail that gives the stone those tiny metallic flashes visible throughout.
The elongated rectangular shape called for a setting with a little more structure around it. The stone is bezel set in sterling silver, surrounded by a darkened, hand-hammered border, with four substantial decorative prongs adding another architectural detail to the face. The wide sterling silver band is covered with individually applied silver details over a heavily textured surface. Patina darkens the recesses before the raised silver is polished back to brightness, creating 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: Petrified Opalwood from Java, Indonesia with natural copper inclusions
✧ Ring Size: 9.25; due to the wide band, best suited for approximately a size 8.75–9 finger
✧ Band Width: Approximately 19 mm at the front, tapering to 7 mm at the back
✧ Ring Face: Approximately 35 x 14 mm
✧ Setting: Sterling silver bezel with hand-hammered border and decorative prongs
✧ Metal: Sterling silver with an oxidized patina
One-of-a-kind and made with care in my studio.
