Our love for Australian opal
At Time & Lustre, our love for Australian opals is at the heart of everything we do.
We source our opals directly from Australian miners, allowing us to personally select and cut each stone to ensure it meets the quality standards we proudly stand behind.
We exclusively source from Australia's renowned opal fields, including Lightning Ridge, home of the world-famous black opal; Coober Pedy, the world's largest producer of opal; as well as Andamooka and the Lambina fields.
By working closely with miners and maintaining a hands-on approach throughout the process, we can offer exceptional quality while supporting the Australian opal industry.
Honesty and transparency are fundamental to our values. We appreciate the unique beauty of both solid and doublet opals and are committed to accurately representing every stone we sell.
Every opal is clearly and correctly identified, with pricing that reflects its true nature and quality.
Our mission is to share the wonder of Australian opal with everyone, from first-time collectors seeking an affordable piece to enthusiasts searching for exceptional gem-grade treasures.
Each piece of jewellery is thoughtfully designed around the individuality of its opal, then meticulously handcrafted to create a timeless piece that celebrates the stone's natural beauty for generations to come.
Opal jewellery, made by us
This is the part of Time & Lustre we make ourselves. Each piece is designed and made by our owner, around an Australian opal chosen for its colour.
Because every opal is different, every piece is too. Even our repeat designs carry a different stone each time.
Our listings name the opal's origin, weight or type, size, colour play, body tone and brightness, plus the metal and any other stones.
Where our opals come from
The opals in our current pieces come from three of these fields, and every listing names the source:
- Lightning Ridge (NSW): used in our crystal opal ring, the triangle stud earrings and our animal pendants. One pendant's grey-based opal comes from the Dead Dog Gully diggings at Lightning Ridge.
- Coober Pedy (SA): used in our drop earrings, several pendants and a crystal opal pendant with a red sunflash. Some come from Coober Pedy's Olympic Fields.
- Lambina (SA): the source of the opals in our oval stud earrings.
What is play-of-colour?
Play-of-colour is the shifting flash of spectral colour that moves across an opal as you tilt it. It's what separates precious opal from common opal, which has none.
No two opals show it the same way. Some flash electric blue and green. Others show soft pastels, or warm reds and oranges.
How to choose an opal
Three things shape how an opal looks, and our listings describe each one.
Body tone. The background colour of the stone, ignoring the flashes. It's graded from N1 (darkest) to N9 (lightest).
Darker bodies make colours look more saturated; lighter, white-based opals give a soft, pastel glow.
In this collection you'll see grey-based Lightning Ridge opal, very dark N2 stones, and white-based Coober Pedy opal at N8.
Crystal opal is translucent, so light passes through and the colour seems to glow from within.
Brightness. How vividly the colour shows, given as a B grade on each listing.
Pattern and colour. The way colour is arranged, from broad flashes to fine, layered patterns. Our 3.0ct Lightning Ridge pendant shows striated and mackerel-like patterns.
Choose the colours you love; there's no wrong answer.
Solid opal or doublet?
Our listings tell you which type you're buying.
- Solid opal: the stone is opal all the way through, cut from a single piece. Our solid pieces include the Coober Pedy drop earrings, the Lambina and Lightning Ridge studs, the Coober Pedy pendants in silver and 9ct gold, and the Lightning Ridge crystal opal ring.
- Doublet: a thin slice of precious opal bonded to a dark backing, which deepens the colour. Our koala, kangaroo, baby seal and ocean-inspired pendants use Lightning Ridge doublets.
The pieces currently in this collection are solid opal or doublets. We don't list triplets here.
Settings, metals and lab-grown diamonds
Most pieces are set in s925 sterling silver, which is 92.5% silver. One Coober Pedy pendant is set in 9ct gold.
Four-prong settings hold several of the stones while letting in as much light as possible.
Several pieces add lab-grown diamonds:
- a three-stone Lightning Ridge crystal opal ring
- a free-form crystal opal ring with three lab-grown diamonds on the shoulders
- a Coober Pedy crystal opal pendant with eight lab-grown diamonds
- a Lightning Ridge pendant framed in lab-grown diamonds
- a free-form Coober Pedy pendant with a single lab-grown diamond
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds, made above ground rather than mined.
Many pendants come with a sterling silver chain; check each listing for chain details.
Caring for your opal
Opal needs a little more care than harder gemstones, and a few simple habits keep it looking its best.
- Avoid knocks. Take rings off for the gym, gardening and heavy lifting.
- Avoid harsh chemicals. Put perfume, sunscreen and cleaning products on before your jewellery, and take it off to swim.
- Avoid sudden temperature changes, such as hot water followed by cold.
- Don't soak doublets. The layers are bonded, and long soaking can weaken the bond. Wipe with a soft, damp cloth instead.
- Store pieces separately so harder stones and metal don't scratch the opal.
Sterling silver darkens over time. A silver polishing cloth brings it back; avoid silver dips, which aren't safe for opal.
Why buy opal jewellery from Time & Lustre
- Made by our owner, around Australian opal from named fields.
- Stone details on each listing: origin, weight or type, size, colour play, body tone and brightness.
- Lab-grown diamonds, clearly described as lab-grown.
- Tracked delivery Australia-wide, free on orders over $50. See our shipping policy for delivery times.
- Returns: see our returns policy.
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