Heres your semiregular reminder that opal is one of the worst possible gemstones for engagement rings and tumblr posts about how pretty opals are and how diamonds are bullshit and we should all wear opal rings are not actually well informed or your friends
I will at no point deny that, theyre stunning and look different from every angle and in every lighting, the plays of color are insane, and they can be used to make beautiful jewelry, including, unfortunately, engagement rings. Which then have the tedency to do what opals do best, which is break and chip
The problem with opals is their position on the mohs hardness scale: they are a 5.5 to a 6.5. This in on par with glass. You can break one of these with glass or a knife or any piece of metal. The woman on the left broke hers by accidentally knocking it against her desk. Engagement rings are meant to be worn every day, and they are worn on your hands, which are high contact body parts. Opals cannot properly hold up to everyday use, and will become damaged unless you are lucky. It is, in my opinion, best not to risk it- this is a special ring, your forever ring, an object that meant to be worn daily and symbolizes your love and is, if worst comes to worst, something to hawk if you are desperate for cash to continue to live. You do not want it to break. Moonstone- which is another one i see recommended a lot- is the same way. Engagement rings are special. I would not ever in good conscience be able to recommend something that fragile to be someones forever ring.
Diamonds are not recommended just because of the diamond industry (which is bad, i agree! Please make sure your diamond is ethical if you chose to get one, and my personal opinion is that lab made is better) but because they are the most durable stone out there. You cant break your diamond.
Theres nothing wrong with wanting a colorful, flashy engagement ring, but an opal is not the stone for you. You want a gemstone that is an 8+ on the hardness scale- so stones like emeralds (if youre careful with it!), rubies, sapphires (which come in all sorts of colors), moissanite (typically white, but with twice the fire and brilliance of a diamond), morganite, colored diamonds, and alexandrite are all good choices. Alexandrite even changes colors depending on lighting!
TL;DR: opals are too soft and fragile for an engagement ring. Get opal necklace instead, and pick a tougher stone for your engagement ring.
Topaz is also 8 on the Mohs scale, and Aquamarine is the same stone as Emerald but in a different colour. Both are also worth considering!
