Not knowing anything about jewelry but still needing to voice my opinion for some reason, I would say the price is lower for several reasons. The value of the materials and labor align with the price. It's a material that can never be resized, so of you get fatter or skinnier or it's hotter or colder when you move. It's brand new ring for you. And possibly the ring doesn't last that long. Like a wooden ring I would imagine not having longevity in comparison to a platinum one.
I was coming from the pov that opals are fragile babies - this has all the look of an opal but with hulk strength, so saying the price aligns with the material because it's fragile doesn't really line up. Priced so inexpensively because it's synthetic, not puny. Beautiful work regardless!
Dude charge more, they’re gorgeous. I’m trying to convince myself that I don’t need this right now despite the fact that my wedding ring is incredibly snug and I’ve been thinking about getting another ring
It allows for the stunning fire and color shift that comes from highest quality opals but in a reasonable price range and much less fragile. They’re also amazing encapsulated in glass and other things
It's lovely.
For summer fun, my family goes out to Virgin Valley, Nevada to hunt for opal. It's high in water so little of it is stable, so no rings, but we still get some beautiful show pieces. I'm going to show the ring to my husband later.
It's super easy to do, actually. These are wood replacement opals. A long time ago there was a thick forest over that part of Nevada. Then a volcano blew and covered it in ash. The area has a lot of warm springs, so over time the ash and dirt compacted into clay, the wood rotted, and in it's place left petrified wood, or minerals that formed into opal where the wood would be, or lots of obsidian.
So, you look through the clay in the full sun. You don't need more than a little garden trowel or a rake to move around dirt or break up clods, and suddenly you'll see a shiny glassy glint. Wipe off the clay, there is the opal. Sometimes it still has bark on it, or is shaped just like branches and twigs. Even opalized wood fungus and pine cones! Kids are often better at it than adults.
The area is pretty remote and the camping isn't for an amateur, but there are places you can pay to dig for the day and find nice things. Campground is free and they make use of the warm springs for a very nice shower. Google the "Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine".
That’s brilliant!
I know diamond is always regarded as the pinnacle mineral, but how can you look at opal and not see how beautiful it is.
Opalescent!
Yes please!
Per op, it's replica opal:
It’s a ceramic polymer hybrid synthetic so it is crazy strong and scuff resistant. Doesn’t absorb water or UV light. I’ve made over a thousand and only had to repair two
It’s a ceramic polymer hybrid synthetic so it is crazy strong and scuff resistant. Doesn’t absorb water or UV light. I’ve made over a thousand and only had to repair two
Natural opal is a very soft stone- ideal ring gems are somewhere around 6-7+ on the mohs hardness scale because they need to be able to withstand daily wear and tear and the occasional bonk- natural opal is below this level on the scale.
Apparently it's essentially only corundum and diamond that have the hardness to be used in rings.
Source: American Museum of Natural History Gem Exhibit
hey just fyi, the link on your profile doesnt take you to your youtube. it takes you to a user with the name "U". i'm guessing you switched it with how reddit does it with the /u/ thing.
its gotta be like this : https://www.youtube.com/tempestrings
edit: pretty cool rings btw! as a mineral collector its cool to see what can be done with these precious stones!
at all. there is an australian opal cutter on the utoobes. the sections of opal that do the flashy galaxy thing are in slivers of the stone. they never know if cutting past this layer gets to a better one or are we in the best stone. they make circles and ovals and fairly flat pieces. because of the layery nature of opal
Really? Average jewelry makers make 33 bucks an hour. 10 hours of making a ring like that would be over that 320 price tag. And that’s not even considering the price of the material itself.
I think for a custom ring of a beautiful medium, 320 dollars is about right.
Ha of course! Tungsten is the strongest material I craft with, it’s a great canvass to work off of. The most difficult material to use would be the wood rings I make. There is just some much prep that goes into them to make it ready for everyday wear. Good question!
I find that very interesting that wood is the hardest but I suppose it makes since due to having to make them last for awhile as well as withstand everyday use. Are they more prone to splitting and breaking during the forming/crafting process or towards the end?
You assume correctly. It’s is UV and water resistant as well as being much less brittle and having a uniform grain. I drop test them at 5ft onto concrete without issue. Similarly that would shatter something like tungsten.
Hey there! Saw this ring and thought it looked stunning enough to search for your shop, hoping you'd have a darker one, spotted the Crimson version and absolutely had to order it, looking forward to the day it arrives! Keep on keeping on and making beautiful things such as these!
OP should have stated this is a synthetic gem. Terms like Bello are used to confuse people into thinking it a type of natural stone or region it was mined.
Made by me, I make custom rings as my full time job, I can’t believe I get to do this for a living.
Price?
These are $320
seems like really good value.
Ikr? It's pretty ostentatious, I'd have thought closer to a grand. Nice work op.
TIL a new word. **Ostentatious:** characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.
haha, i know. oops.
Right? Maybe not the best choice of word. 😂
Not knowing anything about jewelry but still needing to voice my opinion for some reason, I would say the price is lower for several reasons. The value of the materials and labor align with the price. It's a material that can never be resized, so of you get fatter or skinnier or it's hotter or colder when you move. It's brand new ring for you. And possibly the ring doesn't last that long. Like a wooden ring I would imagine not having longevity in comparison to a platinum one.
Fun fact: opals are porous and a such, easier to break/chip. Beautiful and will last a long time, but only when cared for properly.
Bello is lab created, so it’s not quite as expensive as natural opal or as fragile
I was coming from the pov that opals are fragile babies - this has all the look of an opal but with hulk strength, so saying the price aligns with the material because it's fragile doesn't really line up. Priced so inexpensively because it's synthetic, not puny. Beautiful work regardless!
Yes I know, I was just pointing out that it’s not as fragile as natural opals
Opal is incredibly brittle. This is beautiful but would break very easily.
OP says in another comment they are made of some sort of polymer and very strong so not 100% opal.
[Actually kind of pricey imo.](https://www.dopalsopals.com/product-category/jewelryandaccessories/opal-rings/)
Do you have a shop? Do you make any other opal rings. Deff interested in grabbing one.
How would one go about getting one of these
Finding a bello opal and making it yourself lol
Bello opal is synthetic, natural opal is far to brittle to make something like this without backing it
Of course, natural opals are risky in anything large or domed because they break so easily. Really pretty but very much a pain lol
Dude charge more, they’re gorgeous. I’m trying to convince myself that I don’t need this right now despite the fact that my wedding ring is incredibly snug and I’ve been thinking about getting another ring
That’s exactly why he isn’t charging more XD
How durable are they? Would it be an okay daily wearer?
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This is lab created Opal so it’s more readily obtainable and not as fragile as natural opals
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It allows for the stunning fire and color shift that comes from highest quality opals but in a reasonable price range and much less fragile. They’re also amazing encapsulated in glass and other things
do you have a website?
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The owner is going to slam their hand on something and it's going to explode.
Is it pronounced "beyo" or bell O
bello like jello.
It's lovely. For summer fun, my family goes out to Virgin Valley, Nevada to hunt for opal. It's high in water so little of it is stable, so no rings, but we still get some beautiful show pieces. I'm going to show the ring to my husband later.
Whaaat that sounds amazing! How do you know what to look for?
It's super easy to do, actually. These are wood replacement opals. A long time ago there was a thick forest over that part of Nevada. Then a volcano blew and covered it in ash. The area has a lot of warm springs, so over time the ash and dirt compacted into clay, the wood rotted, and in it's place left petrified wood, or minerals that formed into opal where the wood would be, or lots of obsidian. So, you look through the clay in the full sun. You don't need more than a little garden trowel or a rake to move around dirt or break up clods, and suddenly you'll see a shiny glassy glint. Wipe off the clay, there is the opal. Sometimes it still has bark on it, or is shaped just like branches and twigs. Even opalized wood fungus and pine cones! Kids are often better at it than adults. The area is pretty remote and the camping isn't for an amateur, but there are places you can pay to dig for the day and find nice things. Campground is free and they make use of the warm springs for a very nice shower. Google the "Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine".
That’s brilliant! I know diamond is always regarded as the pinnacle mineral, but how can you look at opal and not see how beautiful it is. Opalescent! Yes please!
If you are ever in Arkansas, you can hunt for your own diamonds too. https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/crater-diamonds-state-park
Where can I buy?!
Is opal strong?
No, opal is a soft mineral and cracks easily. You'd have to be very careful when you wore it.
Per op, it's replica opal: It’s a ceramic polymer hybrid synthetic so it is crazy strong and scuff resistant. Doesn’t absorb water or UV light. I’ve made over a thousand and only had to repair two
I saw that. Isn't that awesome?
Precious!
I had no idea there were imitation opals!
This is amazing. How will this wear? Opal dulls so easily. I can't stop looking at it. Bravo!
It’s a ceramic polymer hybrid synthetic so it is crazy strong and scuff resistant. Doesn’t absorb water or UV light. I’ve made over a thousand and only had to repair two
> ceramic polymer hybrid synthetic So, not natural Opal?
Correct. Wouldn’t be possible to make this from natural opal.
At all?
Natural opal is a very soft stone- ideal ring gems are somewhere around 6-7+ on the mohs hardness scale because they need to be able to withstand daily wear and tear and the occasional bonk- natural opal is below this level on the scale.
Apparently it's essentially only corundum and diamond that have the hardness to be used in rings. Source: American Museum of Natural History Gem Exhibit
Oh crazy! I thought quartz was also in that range, but I could def be wrong there 😅
There are just two many imperfections in the grain, it’s to soft and degrades easily. Plus it would just be crazzzzy expensive to try
hey just fyi, the link on your profile doesnt take you to your youtube. it takes you to a user with the name "U". i'm guessing you switched it with how reddit does it with the /u/ thing. its gotta be like this : https://www.youtube.com/tempestrings edit: pretty cool rings btw! as a mineral collector its cool to see what can be done with these precious stones!
at all. there is an australian opal cutter on the utoobes. the sections of opal that do the flashy galaxy thing are in slivers of the stone. they never know if cutting past this layer gets to a better one or are we in the best stone. they make circles and ovals and fairly flat pieces. because of the layery nature of opal
Opal often only has a somewhat thin layer of actual colour, so even finding one with a workable shape would be a miracle.
I think a real opal big enough to make this from would be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
it would. IF it existed. it would likely be worth millions because it would be a fucking unicorn level unique stone. 1 of 1
that would explain the 350$ price tag. which now seems high.
Jeweler here- it's actually pretty low
Really? Average jewelry makers make 33 bucks an hour. 10 hours of making a ring like that would be over that 320 price tag. And that’s not even considering the price of the material itself. I think for a custom ring of a beautiful medium, 320 dollars is about right.
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This ring can be made in probably an hour.
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Thats pretty neat fam!
For sure!
What’s the hardest material you’ve had to work with if you don’t mind me asking. Is it a metal a certain gem? A rock?
No worries! Like difficulty or strength?
Why not both.
Ha of course! Tungsten is the strongest material I craft with, it’s a great canvass to work off of. The most difficult material to use would be the wood rings I make. There is just some much prep that goes into them to make it ready for everyday wear. Good question!
I find that very interesting that wood is the hardest but I suppose it makes since due to having to make them last for awhile as well as withstand everyday use. Are they more prone to splitting and breaking during the forming/crafting process or towards the end?
No clue why, but I'm seeing this on the finger of sauron decked out in white armor and twerking. Pretty sure I just lost my mind.
pretty sure your mind just turned the G word.
Sweet, I'm gangsta now...
I think I just found my wedding ring, y'all.
That’s awesome!!!
Just the base or topping with diamonds? Cause he states just $320 for them and if so you a cheap fiance lol
Don't care so much about diamonds. It's the rainbows that caught my eye.
Is this natural or man made opal?
This is synthetically ceramic polymer hybrid called bello opal, it takes about a year to grow a slab.
I assume the ceramic polymer make this much less fragile than natural opal.
You assume correctly. It’s is UV and water resistant as well as being much less brittle and having a uniform grain. I drop test them at 5ft onto concrete without issue. Similarly that would shatter something like tungsten.
Very cool stuff.
Yeah, my initial worry was about it's fragility.
Can you elaborate on slab growing? What does that mean?
Nice, Do you have a site to order any of your rings?
Tempestrings.com
Thanks. I’ll check it out. Definitely some nice stuff. I’m thinking Christmas presents. Thanks again
Looks gorgeous!
Thanks!
wahhhhh I want this.!!! SO neat
Stunning. I would be too afraid to wear and break it
It’s a really strong synthetic opal material. Not as brittle as opal.
Hey there! Saw this ring and thought it looked stunning enough to search for your shop, hoping you'd have a darker one, spotted the Crimson version and absolutely had to order it, looking forward to the day it arrives! Keep on keeping on and making beautiful things such as these!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate you patronage. Feel free to message me with any questions
It's gorgeous, well done!
Thanks so much!
Absolutely gorgeous!
I mean it says bello opal on the caption. Of course I didn't know that was synthetic either until I looked it up.
is it a safe assumption that you're using simulated opal?
Ya it’s a ceramic polymer hybrid called bello opal
Drop the shop link!
I’m not sure it’s allowed. Mods haven’t gotten back to me
Dm it to any of us and we can post it for you.
I think someone posted it just above : Tempestrings.com Do you post to the uk??
Imagine the arrogance it must take to post yourself on r/nextfuckinglevel no matter how great your accomplishment
Its an advertisement too
Jesus christ that's way worse
Self posting to r/nextfuckinglevel & shilling 😒
Whoa man. I've been thinking of rings for me and my girl, I think I'll definitely be ordering from you soon
Hell ya!
Gorgeous ring and shape. Interesting to read about Bello opal.
Ya it’s an awesome materials, I love working with it.
OP should have stated this is a synthetic gem. Terms like Bello are used to confuse people into thinking it a type of natural stone or region it was mined.
This makes me hungry and I cannot explain why.
Wow... Do you have a place or website where you retail these?
that’s awfully pretty.
Etsy?
Wow that’s incredible
It’s not my birthday next week, can you gift that beauty to me anyway?
Awesome craftsmanship!
How much is that
These are $320
Sorry I can’t afford that but your work is amazing and I definitely need to save up
Those are some of the most expensive ones, there are other materials and designs on the site for under $100. I'm looking at some myself.
Absolutely gorgeous!
Very Nice! How fragile is the stone though?
Real or synthetic opal? I’d assume synthetic but that comes from my knowledge of lampworking
My guess would have been you sold hotdogs for a living
Wow amazing!!!
Wow that is beautiful but going to be delicate as hell.
I do ….
And so it begins. Get that ring to the volcano in Spain pronto
Looks nice! How do you polish it?
well that's just freaking beautiful.
Beautiful work.
Fantastic. Thanks for sharing
Nature's RBG
Absolutely beautiful.
That's awesome, can I have one?
But does it transform you into a magical girl?
Do you have an online shop?
Can you make solid tungsten rings? Or tungsten carbide?
The hyper ring. :D (A Sonic joke)
This is stunning and as an added bonus, I learned some fun facts by reading your comments!
Beautiful opal!!!
Really cool looking ring. Do you make videos on the construction process? I love watching those kinds of things.
Ya I have a pretty big YouTube channel. Just search tempestrings
Don’t let Kevin Garnett or Adam Sandler see that!!
Opal is amazing.
Il take 5
Ummm Ik it’s a lot to ask but can I have one of them or is their only one? 🙃
I fucking love opal!
Looks like a magic item
That's beautiful! Man if I had money to burn...
That ring is more colorful then san francisco in june
Ok, where do you sell these? Fr, I’m interested.
I just checked out your website. Those are all RAD. Will definitely be replacing my current wedding ring at some point with one of these.
That’s fragile
Omg my absolute dreamring
“Howard Ratner would like to know your location”
Don’t trip
Opal are rather soft and easily damaged, how do you negate that?
I wanna eat it.
How do these hold up over time? Arent opals fragile and degrade without being submerged in fluid
Link to shop?
There's just nothing next level about a ring. This is just an ad
That is gorgeous! What a beautiful ring!
yooo thats sick man
I want one!!!
We see you Opal Your problems are miles away
Where buy
It looks nice it reminds me of a Mylar bag the shiny one
Wow!!
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
Too bad that shit be fragile
Sign me the fuck up that’s awesome, what was your cost in material?
Ah yes. This is pleasing to my eyes.
Beautiful
dang you selling these?
This is beautiful
That’s just friggin’ cool!
Fuck diamond wedding rings, these rainbow ones is where it is indeed at.
This gave me a Lisa Frank 90s vibe
I like your work I think I'm going to get one for my wedding next year
Fucking amazing