Man's white sapphire ring inlaid with onyx and Australian opal.

Striking sterling silver man's white sapphire ring inlaid with black onyx and Australian opal. Four sparkling princess cut white sapphires totaling .88 carats are channel set across the top of the ring. Three pieces of black onyx and two pieces of bright blue-green Australian opal are inlaid down each side. This handmade ring measures 15mm wide and is a size 10 1/2. The ring is available in other sizes and color combinations by special order. It is hand signed "MMH" by jewelry artisan Mark Hileman on the inside of the ring. Opal has been mined worldwide, however, Australia accounts for 96% of all commercial opal and is the main source of precious opal. Australian Opal is mined in many locations throughout New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Because of the unique conditions under which opal is formed, it is nearly impossible to find two opals exactly the same. Opal is the only gemstone known to man to have the natural ability to diffract light. An opal’s color is created when the voids between the particles split light entering the stone. The size and alignment of the spheres and voids, as well as the light source, determines the colors produced. To view an opal’s color play at its best, the light source must be coming over your shoulder. An opal’s color can cover the full spectrum of the rainbow. Sapphire is a precious gemstone that occurs in a variety of colors. Sapphire and ruby are both corundum, composed essentially of aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Corundum is the hardest of all gemstones, following diamond, with a hardness of nine. The most common colors found in nature are red (Ruby) and blue (Sapphire). The color is caused by traces of metallic oxide impurities such as chromium, iron or titanium. In rare cases, white sapphire is found in nature. If pure, all corundum (Sapphire) would be colorless.