BRIGHTNESS IS RATED ON A ONE TO FIVE SCALE AS:

5.  Opal is Brilliant and Color Jumps out of the stone at you at arms length

4.  Opal is Bright and Color is Crisp and Sharp at arms length

3.  Opal has Good Color at arms length  

2.  Opal has Fair color but Nothing Special 

1.  Opal has Color but is Fairly Dull 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Ethiopian OPAL.

 Welo opal is what is known as Hydrophane opal it comes from Ethiopia, Africa. Hydrophane come from the Greek words meaning "water loving ". The difference between Welo Opal and Australian opal is Welo opal will absorb water and Australian opal will not.  The down side of this is if it is allowed to stay wet for an hour or two it will absorb water and loose its color. This will not hurt or damage the opal in anyway but the opal can turn clear or opaque and lose its color temporarily until dry. Not to worry as the opal will regain its original colour once allowed to dry. For this reason, it is best to try to keep your Ethiopian opal jewelry dry. How long does it take to dry if it absorbs water? Well, this could be an hour up to a few days depending on how much water the opal has absorbed and the temperature and humidity where it is drying. There is a lot of information on the internet about the origin and creation of Ethiopian opal. 

Photos were taken under a 40 watt soft white light, without a flash and are NOT ENHANCED IN ANY WAY!  I have been making Opal Jewelry for 25 years and stand behind all my work.