Collection: Sterling Silver Opal Necklaces

OpalPop’s collection of sterling silver opal necklaces spans everything from rustic, handmade pendants to refined, professionally manufactured designs.  These pieces are sourced globally and set with a range of opal varieties, including natural Ethiopian and Australian opals, as well as lab-created opals and assembled opal doublets and triplets.

As discussed in our broader Sterling Silver Opal Jewelry collection, the term sterling silver refers specifically to metal that is 92.5% pure silver.  While most pieces in this collection meet that standard, we occasionally feature necklaces crafted from higher or lower silver purities.  In those cases, the metal content is clearly labeled in product titles and descriptions so you can shop with confidence.

Every OpalPop pendant arrives ready to wear, included with a presentation chain.  Most chains are sterling silver or gold-plated sterling silver; specific chain details are always listed in the product description and are worth reviewing if chain style or metal matters to you.

Below, we explore common sterling silver opal pendant styles, why certain opal varieties appear more frequently in specific designs, practical considerations for silver chains, and care guidance for keeping your necklace looking its best.

Sterling Silver Pendants: Creativity Without Limits

Sterling silver’s accessible price point makes it one of the most versatile metals in jewelry design.  Pendants, in particular, are often where artists experiment most freely.  Unlike rings, necklaces don’t require sizing, making them easier to design, sell, and gift—and easier for buyers to enjoy without guesswork.

Because of this, sterling silver opal pendants tend to show more variety than almost any other jewelry category.  A few styles, however, appear again and again.

Bezel-Set Opal Solitaire Pendants

Bezel-set opal solitaires are among the most popular sterling silver pendant styles, both for their clean appearance and their practicality.  Opals are rarely cut to standardized sizes; bezel settings allow jewelers to form metal directly around the stone’s natural shape, whether it’s freeform or irregular.

Sterling silver’s cooperative working properties make it particularly well-suited for this technique, allowing the bezel to close smoothly around the opal without gaps.  Fully enclosed bezels also offer additional protection compared to prong settings, making them a sensible choice for everyday wear.

In some cases, jewelers reinforce bezel-set opals with epoxy backing for added security.  This practice can also serve an aesthetic purpose.  Certain crystal opals—especially those from Coober Pedy, Australia—may be backed with black-dyed epoxy to enhance color contrast, giving the appearance of a black opal.  When this technique is used, it must be disclosed; at OpalPop, any such treatments are clearly noted in the product description along with relevant care guidance.

Rustic & American Southwest–Inspired Pendants

Sterling silver has long been associated with American Southwest jewelry, a style that gained widespread popularity from the 1960s through the 1990s and continues to influence artists today.  Many handmade pendants feature layered silver construction, bold silhouettes, and intentionally oxidized surfaces to emphasize contrast and texture.

Boulder opals pair especially well with this aesthetic.  Their natural ironstone matrix complements oxidized silver finishes, resulting in pendants that feel rugged, organic, and visually grounded.

More technical variations of Southwest-inspired design often incorporate stone inlay.  In these pieces, precisely cut opal segments are fitted together to form smooth, mosaic-like patterns.  While Native American artists pioneered this technique, artisans in the Philippines have also mastered it since the 1980s, producing detailed inlay pendants with themes ranging from traditional Pueblo motifs to space-inspired imagery featuring rockets, planets, and stars.

A Note on Opal Inlay

In sterling silver inlay jewelry—whether vintage or modern—the opal used is almost always lab-created.  Natural opal is too brittle for the sharp corners and thin segments required for inlay work.  Lab-created opal, often polymer-based, offers the durability needed to execute these designs cleanly and reliably.  If a sterling silver pendant features opal inlay, it is safe to assume the opal is lab-created unless otherwise stated.

Manufactured Sterling Silver Opal Pendants

Many sterling silver opal pendants are produced in limited manufacturing runs.  Designers with strong artistic direction often outsource production overseas, where consistent results can be achieved at lower labor costs.  These pieces tend to favor stones that are uniform and predictable in appearance.

As a result, lab-created opal and assembled stones like doublets and triplets are especially common in manufactured silver pendants.  Historically, Australian white opals were widely used for this purpose through the 1980s and 1990s.  As supply tightened, Ethiopian opals became the preferred natural alternative in more recent decades.

Israeli-made sterling silver opal pendants occasionally appear as well, often featuring religious motifs or rounded lab-created opals set against dark epoxy backings to create vivid blue contrast.  These designs are typically produced in small batches by established workshops, though independent makers also contribute to the category.

About Sterling Silver Chains

Sterling silver chains are available in a wide range of styles, lengths, and widths.  Because silver is a relatively soft metal, stronger chain styles—such as box, rope, and wheat chains—are recommended, particularly for thinner profiles.

Spring clasps (often called “C” clasps) are common on lighter chains and are generally acceptable, though less secure than lobster clasps, which are typically reserved for heavier chains.  The spring inside a spring clasp is often made from a base metal, which is why these clasps can appear slightly magnetic—a detail that sometimes surprises buyers unfamiliar with chain construction.

Chains tend to wear and tarnish faster than pendants due to constant movement and skin contact.  While chains are easy to clean, repairs can be less economical; in many cases, replacing a fine sterling silver chain is more cost-effective than repairing it.

Cleaning & Caring for Sterling Silver Opal Necklaces

Cleaning & Polishing

A jeweler’s rouge cloth is the safest and most effective way to polish sterling silver pendants. Use the darker, compound-infused side on the metal only, then finish with the lighter side to remove residue. Avoid polishing areas that appear intentionally oxidized or textured, as this can alter the artist’s intended finish.

Water should never be used on pendants set with Ethiopian opals, opal doublets, or opal triplets. For all other opal varieties, water exposure is generally safe, though chemical cleaners should still be kept away from the stone.

Sterling silver chains are best cleaned separately. Remove the chain from the pendant, dip it briefly in a silver cleaning solution, rinse thoroughly, and dry. A rouge cloth can then be used gently, pulling the chain through with light pressure. Excessive force can stretch or weaken fine links. Always finish with the clean side of the cloth to prevent polishing compound from transferring to the skin.

Daily Care

As noted above, pendants set with Ethiopian opals, as well as assembled opal doublets and triplets, must be kept away from water. Pendants set with other opal varieties are generally safe to get wet, including during bathing or swimming.

To best preserve your sterling silver necklace, we recommend removing it before bed. This simple habit significantly extends the lifespan of both the chain and the pendant’s bail by reducing unnecessary friction, tension, and overnight wear.