Opal Pendants and Urn Pendants: A Buying Guide for Two of Our Most Asked-About Pieces

Some pendants are chosen for how they look. Others are chosen for what they hold — a birthstone, a memory, sometimes literally a small portion of ash. At DeSantis Jewelry, our opal pendants and urn pendants get asked about for very different reasons, but the questions tend to follow the same pattern: what's it made of, how do I know it's good quality, and will it actually hold up. 

Here's a straight answer to all three, for both. 

Opal Pendants: What You're Actually Looking At 

Opal isn't a crystal in the way a sapphire or amethyst is. It's hardened silica gel, built from microscopic spheres stacked in a grid. Light bends through the gaps between those spheres and splits into color — that shifting flash you see when you tilt the stone is called play-of-color, and it's the entire reason people fall for opal in the first place. 

Two things matter most when you're choosing one. 

Where it's from. Australian opal — particularly black opal and boulder opal — is generally considered the benchmark for depth of color and pattern. It formed in ancient inland seabeds over tens of millions of years, which is part of why fine pieces aren't cheap. We work primarily with Australian stones for this reason. 

Solid versus doublet/triplet. A solid opal is cut from a single piece of rough. A doublet glues a thin opal slice onto a dark backing to boost contrast; a triplet adds a clear cap on top for protection. Doublets and triplets aren't fake — they're a legitimate way to make opal more affordable and more durable — but you should know which one you're buying, because it affects both price and care. Solid stones cost more and need slightly more caution around solvents and prolonged soaking, since there's no protective cap. 

Setting matters almost as much as the stone. Opal sits around 5.5–6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, softer than a diamond or sapphire, so a bezel or protective setting that shields the edges from knocks does more for the stone's lifespan than any care routine. That's how we set ours — gold surrounding and protecting the stone, not just holding it up. 

A Quick Word on Color 

People assume "opal" means white opal with rainbow flashes, but the color range is wider than that. Black opal carries its play-of-color over a dark body tone, which makes the colors look almost lit from within. Boulder opal keeps a thin vein of opal fused to its natural ironstone backing — you get color and texture in the same stone. White and crystal opals run lighter and brighter. None is "better." It comes down to what you want the piece to do against your skin tone and the rest of your jewelry. 

Urn Pendants: A Different Kind of Pendant Entirely 

An urn pendant — sometimes called a cremation pendant or keepsake pendant — is built to hold a small amount of cremated remains, a pinch of soil, dried flower petals, or a lock of hair inside a sealed chamber. It's worn the way any pendant is worn. The difference is what's inside, and that changes what to look for when buying one. 

Look for a threaded closure, not a glued one. The chamber should screw shut, ideally with a tiny rubber gasket or O-ring for a real seal. Press-fit or glued lids work loose over time — not what you want for something this personal. 

Check the fill opening. Most use a small funnel and a sealing tool that comes with the piece. If a listing doesn't mention how you're meant to fill it, ask before buying. 

Material holds up the same way it does for any fine pendant. Sterling silver and gold resist tarnish and wear far better than plated base metal, which matters more here than on an everyday piece — this isn't something you'll want to replace. 

We carry urn pendant designs in sterling silver and gold, from simple teardrop shapes to more detailed work, each built with a secure, refillable chamber. If you're choosing one for yourself or for someone else who's grieving, take your time with it. There's no wrong design, but there is a wrong closure — and that's the one detail worth checking carefully before you buy. 

Caring for Either One 

Both opal and urn pendants benefit from the same basic habits: take them off before swimming, showering, or applying lotion and perfume, store them separately from other jewelry so they don't get scratched, and wipe them with a soft cloth after wear. Opal specifically should avoid ultrasonic cleaners and prolonged water exposure — soap and a damp cloth is enough. For a full rundown, our jewelry care and cleaning guide covers it piece by piece. 

Made by Hand, in the Same Place We've Always Made Them 

We're a small, family-run studio based in Tombstone, Arizona, and every piece — opal, urn, or otherwise — is handcrafted rather than mass-produced. If you have a specific stone in mind, a sizing question, or you want to talk through what an urn pendant closure looks like before you commit, reach out to us directly. We're glad to walk through it.