system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
I have an opal ring. Dim memories from Chemistry class long ago tell me not to get it wet, but other advise tells me water is fine, it is heat that kills an opal. What is an opal made of, and what can degrade the colour?

What are opals made of?  Do they turn cloudy (losing their colour as they transform) from exposure to either water or low humidity hot air?   I really don’t want to lose this ring, and taking it off and on ups my chances of losing it.   Can I wash my hands ten times a day with my opal ring on?  Do the dishes wearing it?   Should I be keeping it away from hot air dryers?
gpt
Opals are made of silicon in what is usually a non-crystalline order (meaning there is no unit cell that can be used to describe it's structure, as is the case with diamonds, rubies, etc). They contain water within the structure, somewhere between 5-20% depending on the gem. Opals are impervious, and exposure to water should be fine, unless the glue used to bond the opal to the ring is not water-safe. Excess heat will cause an opal to crack, but we're talking throwing the ring in a fire heat, not wearing it on a warm day heat. You should be fine wearing it day to day.