How to Cure Precious Opals

You can make your own precious opals by using white clay and iridescent flakes. The opal needs to be baked or cured and plunged into ice water to harden and retain the original shape in which you made it. Oven temperature and even heating are key to successful opal making, and air bubbles or debris can ruin your finished opal product. Care must be taken during the opal curing process to ensure a beautiful precious opal.

Instructions

1

Mix 1/4 of a package of baking clay with up to 1 tsp. of iridescent flakes by flattening the clay into a pancake on a flat surface, sprinkling on a few flakes at a time and folding the clay over. Press out any air bubbles and remove any debris from the mixture.

2

Press the clay mixture into a mold to form the opal shape. Trim off any excess clay with a putty knife, and then remove the clay from the mold by pushing on the mold's front.

3

Preheat the oven according to the clay manufacturer's instructions. Check the oven temperature with a thermometer. Place the soft opal top side up on a smooth ceramic tile, tent a piece of aluminum foil over it, and slide it into the oven once the oven has reached the recommended temperature.

4

Bake the opal 30 minutes for each 1/4 inch thickness. For example, if your opal is 3/4 inch thick, bake it for an hour and a half.

5

Remove the opal from the oven when the baking time is up, and plunge it immediately into a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. Polish the cooled stone with fine grit sandpaper.