Crescent Earring featuring Opalized Wood and Freshwater Pearl (E1480)

“Crescent” earrings in 18 karat white gold featuring 34.65 carats pair of natural Opalized Wood and a pair of 7-7.5 mm Freshwater Pearl; the opalized wood is found in the West Java Province of Indonesia. Earrings are made with a 10 mm parabolic friction nut for comfort and to prevent tipping.

Have you ever seen a full moon over the water? The Crescent design name refers to the crescent moon shape hugging the earring’s luminous pearl. The natural Opalized Wood multi-color landscapes result from chemical variations giving birth to the gem. Some see a shoreline, tropical island or glacial lake; the curved triangular form holding the gem top and bottom is shaped like a wave.

About opalized wood: 20 million years ago, this gem was once a living teak tree that was turned to stone after the being covered with layers of ash and rock from an ashy (not lava) volcanic explosion.

The cataclysmic explosion uprooted the trees carrying them downstream in a torrential river filled with other rock, ash, and organic debris, eventually coming to rest in lowlands and lagoons. Submerged underwater and covered with a mélange of sediment, over eons opal silica began to crystallize in the wood’s hollow cells eventually forming a rock that takes on the form of the tree. Petrified wood is wood that has been turned into stone by this process.

Each piece is unique – the color variations a result of varying chemical components leached through the water, such as copper, iron, and manganese. The blue color is a result of copper, the reds from iron.