Opals are one of the earth’s most glorious gifts. Opals
are the union of two mundane substances, water and silica and consist of
microscopic spheres that diffract light like tiny prisms to create
opalescence- the stone’s characteristic play of colors. The opal’s
stunning range of color is the result of the size and spacing of the
component spheres. Color and play-of-color dictate the opal’s overall
quality. The rarest and most desirable color in the flash or play-of-color
are red or violet followed by pink, green, and blue. The "body"
color of the opal can range from the familiar pale blues and white all the
way to exotic black with dark blue, dark green and gray in between! There
are also faceted orange to red opals appropriately called fire opals.
With its pulsating display of fire and color, opal was long thought to
hold magical powers. Opal have symbolized love, life, hope, innocence,
purity and truth through the ages. In "Twelfth Night", William
Shakespeare refers to opals as "the queen of gems".
Australia is the source of 90% of the world’s opals. Other sources
include Mexico and the USA Opals, which rate 5 to 6.5 on the Moh’s Scale
of Hardness, are fragile and should be treated accordingly. Opals shouldn’t
be stored in a hot place (such as under a lamp) and should be cleaned with
just a damp soft, cotton cloth. Care should be taken to protect it from
scratches, sharp blows, and house hold chemicals.
Opal is the tradition birth stone for the month of October as well as
the accepted anniversary gemstone for the fourteenth year of marriage.
Perhaps, because they are fragile, opals received the unearned reputation
as being bad luck to wear if not your birth stone. They have outlived that
outdated notion. Its rainbow of color makes opal an ideal fashion
accessory with an ageless year-round appeal.
