Triplets

Similar to a doublet, but has three pieces sandwiched together, with a thin piece of precious opal cemented to a backing and a clear quartz cap placed on top to protect and bring out the colour of the opal.

Triplets are cut with very thin wire blade. This cutting machine had metal block about 4 inches long with hundred odd  fine cutting wires, extremely thin. Thinner than piece paper it will cut opal into thin slices. A one ounce block of opal may only cut 50 large opals say 18x13mm. The opal slice is then glued onto black base, so the black colour base really enhances the thin slice opal. The cutter then glues opal cabs, either quartz or acrylic.

Triplets are good to see strong fire colour for reasonable price. We recommend not to wear triplets in shower or washing up as water does sometimes seep in to glue joint and you will loose some fire colours. But I have seen ladies with 20 year old triplet rings that they have worn everyday and still look good. Sometimes after few years just quick polish on top of cab brings up good fire colour also. Opal triplets are good start to the enjoyment of opals.

Opal Auctions stocks a range of triplets

Doublets

Opal doublets, as the name suggest, is a thin layer of precious opal cemented onto a backing, usually a piece of black common opal or ironstone. Produced because the opal is too thin to produce a solid stone, doublets are a cheap and inexpensive way to buy a colourful piece of precious opal without the cost involved of a solid.

Doublets are generally set onto strong ironstone backing which is brown colour. This thin slice of opal is enhanced by the brown ironstone and greatly increases the colour fire of the opal. A slice of opal in a doublet is a lot thicker than a triplet. At Lightning Ridge we use crystal opal and use natural black potch as backing and we name these Black Opal Doublets. From Cooper Pedy we use opal shells. these opal shells are generally cabochon and the ironstone base has to be cut to fit the shape of the opal shell to make what we call a shell doublet.

Doublets are ideal to make matching sets of earrings, pendants or rings, as it's easy to match the colour closely. In nature it is very rare to get matching opals, so doublets are popular in the opal industry to make matching sets.

Opal Auctions stocks a range of doublets