Opal

Gemstone for October birthdays

in Gemstones

"I love the idea that Opals not only have a history (most opals were formed 5-6 million years ago!) they also have the most magical colors and change according to how the light plays on them.

Opals truly show that Mother Nature is an artistic alchemist as opals are mostly formed from live organisms and water trapped inside the earth.

I choose to work with Opals because of their unique color variation and painterly quality. Sometimes I select an opal based on gut feeling alone and other times it is based on the rarity and fire within the gemstone. After sourcing opals for over 25 years, I know right away when a certain opal is rare and unique."

Opal comes from the Greek word 'opallus' which loosely translates as 'changing color'.

Opal has been credited with supernatural origins and powers by many cultures. Arabic legends claim it falls from the heavens in flashes of lightning. The ancient Greeks thought opals bestowed the gift of prophecy and protected against disease. Europeans view the gem as a symbol of hope, purity, and truth.

Opals are said to be good for inspiring creativity, calming the inner soul, and providing clarity.

Opals come in a wide variety of colors depending upon the enviroment in which it was created by Mother Nature.

Boulder Opal is unique among gemstones with its intense flashes of color formed over 100 million years ago from hydrated silica embedded in ironstone. Australia is the world's only source for boulder opals, with boulder opals making up only 2% of its entire opal output. As each opal is unique in color and shape boulder opals are usually cut flat or in cabochon with the natural ironstone backing intact.

White or light opal can be translucent to semitranslucent with flashes of color
against a pale white or grey background - often known as 'Australian Opal'.

Fire opal can be transparent to translucent in orange, red, brown to yellow - often known as 'Mexican Opal'. Fire Opal was first discovered in 1835 in the Mexican Highlands which is also the spot where many extinct volcanoes are found. The name derives from its 'fiery' translucent color of yellow to orange to red with an intense inner glow.

Crystal or water opal is transparent to semi-transparent with a clear background displaying intense flashes of color.

Fossilzed wood opal is yet another type of opal created by petrified wood buried over centuries resulting a unique range of colors depending on type of wood and geological envrionment.

Australia is the leading source of opal gemstones with opals also found in the USA, Peru, Mexico, and Brazil.