Opal Triplets are very popular as they display brilliant colours and patterns at only a fraction of what a solid gem opal would cost.
An Opal Triplet is composed of a thin slice of crystal opal sandwiched between a quartz or glass top and a backing made of black potch or man made resin.
The black backing greatly enhances the opal’s fire colour and the quartz or glass top protects it. Triplet rings can last over 20 years, just needing an occasional polish (which a local jeweler can do). Getting these rings wet is not recommended.
Opal Triplets have always been considered an inexpensive way to obtain brilliant Opal colour.
In the past most of the opal rough to make triplets has come from cooper Pedy.
The rough piece opal is set on machine with hundreds of wires to cut the opals thin as paper but you need quality thick crystal opal to make triplets and the price of this rough has sky rocketed and now it is very expensive to make opal triplets.
Cutters have experimented with Ethiopian opals for triplets but they do not display the same brilliant effect as Australia opals.
Today many man made synthetic triplets are sold so people can experience the fire colours of opals but these are not as good as natural triplets.
Older style triplets have glass caps on top but today plastic resin tops are used to protect the triplet.
A doublet opal is more valuable than a triplet because it has a greater opal content.
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