A full opal, also known as a solitaire opal, is a natural opal that has not been further processed or coated. It consists solely of opal, without any additional materials. Full opals are particularly valuable because they show the full beauty of the opal in its most natural form. They are only cut until their surface is mirror-smooth.

Advantages of solid opals:

• Unique play of colors: Since full opals consist entirely of opal, they show the natural play of colors in its purest form.
• High value: Due to their natural composition and rarity, full opals are often more expensive than doublets or triplets.

A doublet consists of two layers: a thin layer of genuine opal and a base made of another, often dark material, such as ironstone, onyx or glass. The opal layer is glued to the base to increase stability and to better show off the opal's play of colors.

Advantages of duplicates:

• Stability: The base gives the often thin opal additional stability, making it more resistant to impacts and scratches.
• Optical effect: The dark base enhances the play of colors of the opal and makes the colors appear more intense.

A triplet consists of three layers: a thin layer of genuine opal, a dark base (like the doublet) and a clear protective layer of quartz or glass on top. This protective layer is convex (curved outwards), which gives the opal more depth and enhances its play of colors.

Advantages of triplets:

• Protection and durability: The additional protective layer protects the delicate opal from scratches and other damage, which significantly extends the life of the piece of jewelry.
• Intense play of colors: The dark base enhances the natural play of colors of the opal, while the convex upper layer emphasizes the shine and depth of the stone.
• Affordability: Because triplets require less pure opal material, they are an affordable way to enjoy the beauty of an opal in jewelry.

Mosaic opals consist of small, carefully cut pieces of opal that are glued in an artistic arrangement onto a base that is often dark. The gaps are often filled with black epoxy resin, which highlights the play of colors of the opal and creates an impressive visual effect. As with the triplets, the mosaic opal is also particularly protected by the 2 layers.

Advantages of mosaic opals:

Creative diversity: By arranging the opal pieces in different patterns, unique designs are created that make each piece of jewelry a work of art.

Intense play of colors: The combination of the different opal fragments enhances the play of colors, as the different colors and light refractions in the individual pieces interact with each other.

Affordability: Mosaic opals are often less expensive because they are made up of smaller pieces of opal, but they offer an impressive visual experience. They are therefore very suitable for use in watches (as dials).