{"product_id":"australian-opal-doublet-silver-earrings-3401","title":"Opal Doublet Earrings – Sterling Silver, Semi-Dark, Strong Red Pinfire","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e.rotr-faq { border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e5e5; padding: 14px 4px; margin: 0; } .rotr-faq:first-of-type { border-top: 1px solid #e5e5e5; } .rotr-faq \u003e summary { cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600; list-style: none; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; padding: 4px 0; outline: none; } .rotr-faq \u003e summary::-webkit-details-marker { display: none; } .rotr-faq \u003e summary::after { content: \"+\"; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1; margin-left: 12px; transition: transform 0.2s ease; } .rotr-faq[open] \u003e summary::after { content: \"−\"; } .rotr-faq-answer { margin: 10px 0 0 0; }\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRed pinfire in a doublet earring is a genuinely rare find. Red is the hardest opal colour to come by — it sits at the high-energy end of the visible spectrum, and most opals never produce it at all. These earrings carry that colour in a pinfire pattern: tiny, closely packed points of light that fire across the stone's face as you move. The semi-dark body behind them is dark enough to give the red real punch without the stone reading heavy or cold. At 12×9mm per stone, they sit confidently on the ear without overwhelming. The bezels keep the stones protected and the overall look clean — no prongs, no fuss, just the opal doing the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Opal Doublet\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn opal doublet is a thin slice of natural Australian opal cemented to a dark backing — usually ironstone or black potch (the common opal that doesn't carry colour play). Doublets are a legitimate technique used in the opal trade for over a century: solid opal thick enough to cut as a whole stone is rare, so using the precious opal layer efficiently means more people can own genuine Australian opal at a sensible price. The opal itself is the same material you'd find in a solid stone — just used more efficiently — and the dark backing intensifies the colour play above it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStone:\u003c\/strong\u003e Opal Doublet\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12×9mm per stone\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour Play:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBody Tone:\u003c\/strong\u003e Semi-dark\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrightness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Strong\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePattern:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pinfire\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSetting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bezel\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMetal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sterling Silver\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClosure Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e French wires\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Australia\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability:\u003c\/strong\u003e One-of-a-kind — 1 pair available\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCaring for Your Opal\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpal is softer than diamond or sapphire, and doublets need extra care around water — prolonged exposure can degrade the bond between the opal layer and its backing. See \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/opal-care\"\u003eOpal Care\u003c\/a\u003e for the full routine including doublet-specific notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eProvenance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHand-selected by Joseph Bernecki, sourced direct from the Australian opal fields and set in his Sydney workshop. Meet him any weekend at The Rocks Market, stall under the bridge, Sydney. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/about-rocks-on-the-rocks\"\u003eRead Joseph's story →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"rotr-faq\"\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat is a pinfire pattern?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rotr-faq-answer\"\u003ePinfire is a pattern where the opal's colour play breaks into a dense field of small, distinct points of light — like tiny sparks packed closely together across the stone's face. As the stone moves, each point flashes independently, so the effect seems to dance rather than sweep. It's one of the more sought-after opal patterns because the activity is high and consistent across the whole stone, not just one section.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"rotr-faq\"\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhy is red the rarest opal colour?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rotr-faq-answer\"\u003eOpal colour is produced by the diffraction of light through tiny silica spheres inside the stone. Red light has the longest wavelength in the visible spectrum, so producing it requires the spheres to be arranged in a specific, less-common configuration. Most opals produce blue or green, which are far easier to achieve structurally. Red — especially strong, saturated red that holds its colour from multiple angles — is the rarest colour in opal and is priced accordingly. Finding it in a pinfire pattern makes this pair unusual even by red opal standards.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"rotr-faq\"\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat does semi-dark body tone mean?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rotr-faq-answer\"\u003eSemi-dark means the background of the stone sits between a light-bodied opal and a fully black one — dark enough to give the colour real contrast and stop the red from looking washed out, but not so dark the stone feels heavy. It's a sweet spot that works well with strong, vivid colours like this red pinfire.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"rotr-faq\"\u003e\u003csummary\u003eHow are these worn?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rotr-faq-answer\"\u003eThese earrings have French wires — a simple curved wire that passes through pierced ears and sits comfortably behind the lobe. They're easy to put on and take off, and the open-wire design keeps the setting lightweight so the opal hangs naturally without pulling.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"rotr-faq\"\u003e\u003csummary\u003eIs this real Australian opal?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rotr-faq-answer\"\u003eYes — the opal layer is genuine natural Australian opal, the same material used in solid opal pieces. It's been crafted as a doublet, meaning the opal is cemented to a dark backing rather than left as a thicker solid stone. The opal itself is 100% natural and Australian.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"rotr-faq\"\u003e\u003csummary\u003eCertification, shipping, returns?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rotr-faq-answer\"\u003eEvery piece is backed by Joseph's personal guarantee, ships fully insured within Australia, and can be returned within 14 days. See \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/buying-an-opal\"\u003eBuying an Opal\u003c\/a\u003e for the full breakdown.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Rocks On The Rocks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45505049657527,"sku":"3401","price":460.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0051\/9176\/1987\/files\/OpDbErr524.2.jpg?v=1765084827","url":"https:\/\/www.rocksontherocks.com\/products\/australian-opal-doublet-silver-earrings-3401","provider":"Rocks On The Rocks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}