Multicolor reflective stones

Multicoloured stones have a rare characteristic: their colour is never quite the same. Simply turn the jewellery in the light to see flashes of blue, green, orange or purple appear, glide from one area to another, and then fade away. Here, Orcha brings together two natural stones selected by Lauren, the brand's creator, for this play of light: Australian opal and Madagascar moonstone.

Opal is made of silica and water. Inside, tiny silica spheres, arranged with great regularity, decompose light like a prism: this is what gemmologists call the play of colour. No opal has the same pattern as another. Australia is the historic birthplace of precious opal, the kind that displays this play of colour, and the opals selected by Lauren are solid opals, cut from a single piece. As early as antiquity, Pliny the Elder described opal as a stone that brings together the colours of all others. Our article on opal and its play of colour explains this phenomenon in detail, and all our creations are gathered in the opal jewellery collection.

Madagascar moonstone is a light, almost transparent stone, crossed by blue flashes, sometimes purple or orange, which float beneath its surface and move with movement. Cut into a cabochon, a domed and polished shape, it allows these flashes to spread across the entire stone. As with opal, each stone has its own shades, more or less intense.

These two stones require a little care. Softer than sapphire or tourmaline, they are happy to be worn, but protected from knocks. Opal contains water and does not like heat or sudden changes in temperature. A soft cloth is enough to restore their shine.

Depending on the piece, these stones are set in 925 sterling silver, 9-carat gold or 18-carat gold. Each piece of jewellery is designed in France around its stone, then handmade in partner workshops in Bangkok and Jaipur. All stones are natural. When a stone has been treated, it is systematically indicated on its product page. Our frequently asked questions about gemstones answer the most common questions, and the page our artisans and the origin of our stones introduces those who shape and set these pieces of jewellery.

Each piece is delivered in its Orcha box with a certificate of authenticity. A stone that changes with the light, and which looks like nothing else.