There were many legends and superstitions about this stone; they were afraid of it and looked for magical powers in it. The Bedouins believed that it contained lightning, and the Romans considered it the most beautiful of all precious stones. What exactly is opal? Why does he attract people so much and what secrets does he hide?
Opals originated about 70 million years ago in the area of modern Australia. It was then that heavy rainfall occurred on Earth, and if we take into account the fact that before this there was a terrible drought, there were many cracks on the ground. It was into them that water flowed with silica dissolved by raindrops. In the process, the cracks filled and hardened, and beautiful minerals were formed in them, inside of which it was as if a rainbow was enclosed.
Few people know, but there are many variations of opal in the world. It can have different shades and inclusions; inclusions are often found in it (as in amber) - insects, other minerals and particles. The color palette is striking in its diversity; today there are black, white, green, brown, orange, blue, red and yellow opals.
Almost all jewelry stones require cutting, only opals do not need it. But why? After all, cutting reveals the most beautiful aspects of a stone; without it, a diamond looks like a hazy piece of glass. With opal, the situation is completely different; it is beautiful in itself, you just have to give it a shape to insert it into a piece of jewelry.
All stones are also classified by hardness; it is determined on the Mohs scale, where a mark of 10 indicates the high density and strength of the mineral. Opal belongs to the group of medium softness (5 on the Mohs scale), so it is not suitable for inlaying into small jewelry, for example, standard wedding rings. Despite its softness, the mineral is not brittle, since it often contains water inclusions.
It's hard to believe now, but in the 19th century, European jewelers avoided working with opal. It seemed to them that such a perfect and beautiful material could not be natural, that nature was not capable of creating such a stone. Many were even inclined to believe that opals were the result of magical manipulations.
All opals are beautiful in themselves, but experts still highlight the most expensive minerals available today. These include black and blue opals, in which luminous inclusions stand out most clearly. They can refract and play with flashes of red, green and golden hues. These opals are mined in Australia.
The fashion for opals has been observed in the last ten years. Before this, in higher jewelry art they were not used often. First of all, because they are difficult to work with, they do not make small decorations. Secondly, for a long time there have been legends that opals bring misfortune. Since 2018, the jewelry house Cartier has introduced large jewelry with opals. From that very moment, a real boom in these minerals began; one after another, brands began to include opals in their collections. Today, opals of various shades are on trend, which coincides with the trend for large jewelry.
Mexican opals are called fire opals because of their beautiful orange and yellow colors. They seem to have absorbed all the warmth of the country where they are mined. In fact, the stones get this shade thanks to iron oxide. Many believe that such stones promote perseverance and courage, and some consider them sources of energy.
Ethiopian opals can also be orange and yellow, but they have more colored flecks. For example, such stones can shimmer with flashes of brown, red, green, yellow and even blue. By the way, opals with blue inclusions are considered very rare and expensive.
Noble and ordinary
I wonder what for jewelry Not all opals are suitable, especially when it comes to high-end jewelry. The fact is that these mysterious minerals are divided into noble and ordinary. Noble ones are particularly beautiful; they fluoresce, have deep shades and are well suited for jewelry. Ordinary ones do not have the play of light; after special polishing they are used as an ornamental material.
We also reviewed . They are definitely worth a look!
Opals are very beautiful stones that are widely used in jewelry. Opals can have a wide variety of colors, be multi-colored, colorless or milky. Noble opals are characterized by a bright rainbow shimmer. Opals can be found on all continents, but 97% of these stones are mined in Australia alone. Interestingly, opals were previously used to make dynamite.
The most beautiful and perfect opal in the world is considered to be the Virgin Rainbow or Maiden's Rainbow. This amazing stone, which shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. It is about the size of an index finger and costs about a million dollars. It took nature many millions of years to form this miracle.
The Maiden's Rainbow was discovered by chance in 2003 by miner John Dunstan in the mines of the famous Coober Pedy. This small town in Australia is considered the opal capital of the world.
Maiden's Rainbow is the crown jewel of the opal exhibition opening on September 25 at the South Australian Museum.
“This exhibition is literally historical, as the opals we see here originated millions of years ago, when dinosaurs still inhabited the earth and Australia was covered by the sea,” said museum director Brian Oldham.
The following text is taken from here
Opals are a silica hydrogel that contains 6-10% water. Opals have more than 100 shades and their own names depending on the inclusions of iron, nickel, manganese and other elements. The color of opals can be red, green, blue, violet, yellow, blue, pink. Opalescence (play of light) can be dotted, continuous, zonal, and irregularities can stand out on the surface, which makes opals a favorite stone for designers. Translated from Sanskrit, upala means “precious stone”.
Its other name is “crack” due to its fragility and ability to crack when drying.
Therefore, opals love a humid environment. The play of light of opals is best conveyed by the shape of cabochons. 95% of the total minerals are mined in Australia. Not long ago, a large deposit was discovered in Ethiopia. Other deposits: Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Sudan, Czech Republic. England - mostly black opals or royal opals. A little unconfirmed data:) Magical properties
People's attitudes towards opal have changed over the past 2 millennia: from admiration to rejection and fear.
The mineral is considered a very strong stone. In the Middle Ages, opal was called the “eye of evil” for its resemblance to the eye and its use in witchcraft. Only Scorpons, focused on their goal, are able to cope with it. It is recommended to wear it on the index finger of the right hand.
A gold frame doubles its magical properties.
Opals white influence the growth of spirituality, create harmony with the surrounding world, bring the gift of clairvoyance and prophecy, warn of dangers, enhance human qualities,
both talents and vices. It is credited with the ability to give rise to deceptive hopes; it is a symbol of whims and betrayals.
Chemically, opal is a mineraloid gel that is deposited at relatively low temperatures in cracks and cavities that arise in almost any mineral, but most often in limonite, sandstone, rhyolite and basalt.
Opal contains 3-15% water, which gives it some duality. Despite the fact that opal does not have a crystal lattice, it still has a structure. Noble opal consists of nanospheres, which are composed of the finest oxygen-silicon chains. This is a mineral, solid silica hydrogel:
SiO2
Opal is similar in composition to quartz, but differs in variable water content.
Andamooka Rough Opal
The fairly porous material comes from the Andamooka deposit in southern Australia.
Raw Andamooka, when freshly mined, is completely matte.
Only after it has been cured and oxidized does it begin to look like real black opal.
Black Opal (black)
Black opals are the rarest and most valuable variety.
and the most highly valued stone in general.
Black opals are not really black, of course.
they are called so because of the depth in which rainbow colors suddenly flash. What distinguishes black opals from other opals is that
that the massive jelly-like material is necessarily on an opaque dark substrate, which creates a dark background on which the opal jelly can play with clear colors.
Shining colors with its dark perception distinguish black opal from white.
Numerous tales and legends are associated with this multi-colored precious stone. It happened during the time of dreams, as the legends of indigenous Australians tell it, when the creator descended from the rainbow to earth to convey to people the knowledge of the world. At the place where his foot touched the ground, stones began to form and glow with all the colors of the rainbow.
Shells, teeth, sea creatures, bones and other objects can also become opalized over time (if they were left alone in the unique conditions of Australian alumina)
Rough opal in Australia is sold by the ounce. 1 troy ounce is equal to 31.103 grams or a weight of 20 pennies. There are approximately 30 ounces in a kilogram
Koroit Nut Opal (Australian opal - Koroit boulder.)
Koroite is a mineral compound in which opal permeates the rock, creating unusual designs and patterns. Koroite is a place in Australia where coroite opals are mined.))
Ocean opal (Ocean)
An ocean frozen in stone
Rainbow Opal (rainbow)
Living Rainbow
raw fire opal (raw fire)
A variety of precious opal (Sometimes called Mexican)
Opal is called the “stone of false hopes.” It is believed to support the talents of its owners (good and evil)
tree fossil with opal growth rings (fossil tree growing in opal)
Opal with Fossils.
In this photo the annual rings of the plant are clearly visible.
Welo Crystal Opal (Ethiopian Opal)
English name: Opal (mineral name approved by the IMA). First isolated/described: Opal has been known since ancient times, long before the formal publication of its description. ... Place of discovery: Welo deposit, Ethiopia.
Black Opal (black)
Boulder Opal (cobblestone)
Fossilized Opal (fossil)
Welo Crystal Opal (Ethiopian opal)
Noble opal
Fine opal necessarily has a special color effect, which is called color play.
The play of color is a change in color and pattern when turning or tilting the stone and is unique to opals.
They shimmer, changing their pattern like in a kaleidoscope.
Common opal has a specific color that
although may vary slightly depending on lighting,
but does not change when the stone is tilted or rotated.
These can be transparent and opaque stones of all colors.
There are many raw materials that are essentially natural opal, but are too brittle or porous.
Modern methods of special processing - stabilization, make it possible to raise the quality of this raw material to jewelry quality.
Synthetic opals are produced industrially and of all types, but they differ from natural ones in that their patterns are more regular.
Imitations
Materials that are not opal, such as painted glass or plastic, are opal imitations.
Opals are very beautiful stones that are widely used in jewelry. Opals can have a wide variety of colors, be multi-colored, colorless or milky. Noble opals are characterized by a bright rainbow shimmer. Opals can be found on all continents, but 97% of these stones are mined in Australia alone. Interestingly, opals were previously used to make dynamite.The most beautiful and perfect opal in the world is considered to be the Virgin Rainbow or Maiden's Rainbow. This is an amazing stone that shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. It is about the size of an index finger and costs about a million dollars. It took nature many millions of years to form this miracle.
The Maiden's Rainbow was discovered by chance in 2003 by miner John Dunstan in the mines of the famous Coober Pedy. This small town in Australia is considered the opal capital of the world.
Maiden's Rainbow is the crown jewel of the opal exhibition opening on September 25 at the South Australian Museum.
“This exhibition is literally historical, as the opals we see here originated millions of years ago, when dinosaurs still inhabited the earth and Australia was covered by the sea,” said museum director Brian Oldham.
The following text is taken from here
Opals are a silica hydrogel that contains 6-10% water. Opals have more than 100 shades and their own names depending on the inclusions of iron, nickel, manganese and other elements. The color of opals can be red, green, blue, violet, yellow, blue, pink. Opalescence (play of light) can be dotted, continuous, zonal, and irregularities can stand out on the surface, which makes opals a favorite stone for designers. Translated from Sanskrit, upala means “precious stone”.
Its other name is “crack” due to its fragility and ability to crack when drying.
Therefore, opals love a humid environment. The play of light of opals is best conveyed by the shape of cabochons. 95% of the total minerals are mined in Australia. Not long ago, a large deposit was discovered in Ethiopia. Other deposits: Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Sudan, Czech Republic. England - mostly black opals or royal opals. A little unconfirmed data:) Magical properties
People's attitudes towards opal have changed over the past 2 millennia: from admiration to rejection and fear.
The mineral is considered a very strong stone. In the Middle Ages, opal was called the “eye of evil” for its resemblance to the eye and its use in witchcraft. Only Scorpons, focused on their goal, are able to cope with it. It is recommended to wear it on the index finger of the right hand.
A gold frame doubles its magical properties.
White opals influence the growth of spirituality, create harmony with the surrounding world, bring the gift of clairvoyance and prophecy, warn of dangers, enhance human qualities,
both talents and vices. It is credited with the ability to give rise to deceptive hopes; it is a symbol of whims and betrayals.
Chemically, opal is a mineraloid gel that is deposited at relatively low temperatures in cracks and cavities that occur in almost any mineral, but most commonly in limonite, sandstone, rhyolite and basalt.
Opal contains 3-15% water, which gives it some duality. Despite the fact that opal does not have a crystal lattice, it still has a structure. Noble opal consists of nanospheres, which are composed of the finest oxygen-silicon chains. This is a mineral, solid silica hydrogel:
SiO2
Opal is similar in composition to quartz, but differs in variable water content.
Andamooka Rough Opal
The fairly porous material comes from the Andamooka deposit in southern Australia.
Raw Andamooka, when freshly mined, is completely matte.
Only after it has been cured and oxidized does it begin to look like real black opal.
Black Opal (black)
Black opals are the rarest and most valuable variety.
and the most highly valued stone in general.
Black opals are not really black, of course.
they are called so because of the depth in which rainbow colors suddenly flash. What distinguishes black opals from other opals is that
that the massive jelly-like material is necessarily on an opaque dark substrate, which creates a dark background on which the opal jelly can play with clear colors.
Shining colors with its dark perception distinguish black opal from white.
Numerous tales and legends are associated with this multi-colored gemstone. This happened during the time of dreams, as the legends of indigenous Australians tell it, when the creator descended from the rainbow to earth to convey to people the knowledge of the world. At the place where his foot touched the ground, stones began to form and glow with all the colors of the rainbow.
Shells, teeth, sea creatures, bones and other objects can also become opalized over time (if they were left alone in the unique conditions of Australian alumina)
Rough opal in Australia is sold by the ounce. 1 troy ounce is equal to 31.103 grams or a weight of 20 pennies. There are approximately 30 ounces in a kilogram
Koroit Nut Opal (Australian opal - Koroit boulder.)
Koroite is a mineral compound in which opal permeates the rock, creating unusual designs and patterns. Koroite is a place in Australia where coroite opals are mined.))
Ocean opal (Ocean)
An ocean frozen in stone
Rainbow Opal (rainbow)
Living Rainbow
raw fire opal (raw fire)
A variety of precious opal (Sometimes called Mexican)
Opal is called the “stone of false hopes.” It is believed to support the talents of its owners (good and evil)
tree fossil with opal growth rings (fossil tree growing in opal)
Opal with Fossils.
In this photo the annual rings of the plant are clearly visible.
Welo Crystal Opal (Ethiopian Opal)
English name: Opal (mineral name approved by the IMA). First isolated/described: Opal has been known since ancient times, long before the formal publication of its description. ... Place of discovery: Welo deposit, Ethiopia.
Black Opal (black)
Boulder Opal (cobblestone)
Fossilized Opal (fossil)
Welo Crystal Opal (Ethiopian opal)
Noble opal
Fine opal necessarily has a special color effect, which is called color play.
The play of color is a change in color and pattern when turning or tilting the stone and is unique to opals.
They shimmer, changing their pattern like in a kaleidoscope.
Common opal has a specific color that
although may vary slightly depending on lighting,
but does not change when the stone is tilted or rotated.
These can be transparent and opaque stones of all colors.
There are many raw materials that are essentially natural opal, but are too brittle or porous.
Modern methods of special processing - stabilization, make it possible to raise the quality of this raw material to jewelry quality.
Synthetic opals are produced industrially and of all types, but they differ from natural ones in that their patterns are more regular.
Imitations
Materials that are not opal, such as painted glass or plastic, are opal imitations.
It is thanks to the presence of water (the percentage of water impurities in a stone can reach 20%) that the surface of the stone is capable of emitting multi-colored rays when exposed to sunlight. At the same time, heat, dryness and bright sunlight are destructive for the stone - it loses all its former beauty, to restore which the mineral must be placed in water again.
Due to the high content of water impurities, the composition of the stone is inconsistent and it is quite fragile. Over time, opal loses its water and turns into.
The most expensive type of opal is hyalite or “Müller glass”. Those made from this mineral shimmer like pearls.
Hydroopal becomes almost invisible in water, but when it dries it takes on a matte white hue.
Rare black opal actually has just dark shade blue, burgundy, violet, while in the presence of opalescence with a very bright rainbow play of several shades at once, the mineral is valued higher.
Opals are mined on all continents, but the largest deposits of the mineral are concentrated in Australia. In this country, in Sydney, as well as in Vienna and Washington, there are museums where the most famous opals are exhibited.
The very best
Roebling Opal - belongs to the fiery variety of minerals, is in the American Hope collection;
The Nuling Nera opal is in the Goddard collection;
Opal "Devonshire" - refers to large black opals (combines up to 20 color shades) - its weight is 100 carats. The stone belongs to the Duke of Devonshire;
Opal “Olympic Australis” is a giant weighing 17 thousand carats. The mineral was discovered in 1956 during the Olympic Games in Melbourne. The mineral has jewelry value (quality - 99%).
The stone is stored in Melbourne by Altmann & Cherny Ltd. Its price in 2005 was approximately $2.5 million. Due to its purity and uniqueness, the stone still remains in its original organic form.
Opal "Jupiter-5" is the largest white opal. Its weight is 20.35 thousand carats. It was found in Australia in 1989.
The "Lord of Glengarry" opal is the largest black opal. Its weight is 1.52 thousand carats. It was found in 1972, also in Australia.
The world's largest black uncut opal is named Halley's Comet opal. Its weight exceeds 396 g.
Famous patterned opals
The Fire Queen opal has a red spot pattern;
The Red Admiral opal has a pattern that resembles a butterfly.
The 203-carat Andamooka opal, found in the Andamooka mines of Australia, is set in a necklace given to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain in 1954.
Ethiopian opal, found on the Welo Plateau, is famous for the design embedded in the stone. In sunlight, the mineral displays a miniature scene of the actual ocean floor;
Fire Opal, found in Mexico, has a “picture” of a fiery sunset;
Lightning Ridge Opal (a type of black opal) “shows” the electrical discharges of lightning.
Opals are a silica hydrogel that contains 6-10% water. Opals have more than 100 shades and their own names depending on the inclusions of iron, nickel, manganese and other elements. The color of opals can be red, green, blue, violet, yellow, blue, pink. Opalescence (play of light) can be dotted, continuous, zonal, and irregularities can stand out on the surface, which makes opals a favorite stone for designers. Translated from Sanskrit, upala means “precious stone”. Its other name is “crack” due to its fragility and ability to crack when drying. Therefore, opals love a humid environment. The play of light of opals is best conveyed by the shape of cabochons. 95% of the total minerals are mined in Australia. Not long ago, a large deposit was discovered in Ethiopia. Other deposits: Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Sudan, Czech Republic. England - mostly black opals or royal opals. A little unconfirmed data:) Magical properties People's attitude towards opal has changed over the past 2 millennia: from admiration to rejection and fear. The mineral is considered a very strong stone. In the Middle Ages, opal was called the “eye of evil” for its resemblance to the eye and its use in witchcraft. Only Scorpons, focused on their goal, are able to cope with it. It is recommended to wear it on the index finger of the right hand. A gold frame doubles its magical properties. White opals influence the growth of spirituality, create harmony with the surrounding world, bring the gift of clairvoyance and prophecy, warn of dangers, and enhance human qualities, both talents and vices. It is credited with the ability to give rise to deceptive hopes; it is a symbol of whims and betrayals. Chemically, opal is a mineraloid gel that is deposited at relatively low temperatures in cracks and cavities that occur in almost any mineral, but most commonly in limonite, sandstone, rhyolite and basalt. Opal contains 3-15% water, which gives it some duality. Despite the fact that opal does not have a crystal lattice, it still has a structure. Noble opal consists of nanospheres, which are composed of the finest oxygen-silicon chains. It is a mineral, a solid hydrogel of silicon oxide: SiO2 Opal is similar in composition to quartz, but differs in variable water content. Andamooka Rough Opal Quite porous material comes from the Andamooka mine in southern Australia. Rough Andamooka is completely matte when freshly mined. Only after it has been cured and oxidized does it begin to look like real black opal.
