A Close Look At The Colorful Opal And Its Fascinating Story


Known as the eye stone because of its ability to heal eye-related diseases, opal is a healing gemstone that has it all. It is believed that the word ‘opal’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Upala’ which means ‘precious stone.’ Some say that it was adapted from the word ‘opalus’ while others suggest that it may have been related to ‘Ops’ the wife of Saturn & the fertility goddess. Opal’s hardness doesn’t stand too high on the hardness scale which means it should be kept with care. Opal jewelry needs to be kept out of the sun or heat for a longer duration because opal contains moisture which is the reason behind its colorful appearance. Extreme heat and dryness can cause the stone to crack over time & lose its color. 

Opal holds the colors of 4 of the most loved gemstones around the world and presents them in an eye-catching shimmer. The subtle red of ruby, the royal purple of amethyst, the profound blue of sapphire, and the enchanting sea-green of emerald work magically well with each other to provide an other-worldly look to the opal stone. Looking at this gem feels like looking at the lightning in the rainbow, so colorful & still so soothing. This play of colors is known as opalescence, which is only seen in precious varieties of opal. Opal, the birthstone of October, has been worn as jewelry since forever, but the 20th century has been a boon when it started to become popular. Many famous brands started to make opal jewelry and this gave rise to the resurrection of the opal gemstone.

Opal: Meaning & Uses

Opal’s colors are caused due to a prism-like formation in its structure. This phenomenon is said to be the soothing & cleansing factor associated with it. Whatever enters into the opal, comes out clearer and in a form that is easy to understand. It is known to intensify one’s feelings in a positive manner. Whatever good is present in you will multiply to show you that you are better than you think. It will also bring out your negative aspects to make it easy to understand them and bring about the changes which will help diminish them. Opal is used by people who need to become more optimist, enthusiastic, and creative. It magnifies these qualities to make one the master of love and passion. Opal’s healing properties also include intuition and insight, which make it a protective gemstone if respected, meditated with, and kept near at all times.

Opal: Types & Varieties

Opal is basically divided into four broad categories which are then further divided into many varieties. These categories are- precious opal, fire opal, common opal, & precious fire opal.  

1. Precious Opal

An opal ring or a pair of earrings that you might have or would love to have is probably made of precious opal. This category of opal is the rarest & is mined in very few sites. Its scarcity means a higher price than the other two types of opals. This opal is also known as ‘rainbow opal’ because it flashes various colors when it reflects white light. This phenomenon takes place because of its structure containing hardened silica in a grid-like manner. The higher the color’s intensity, number of colors, ability to see from most angles, and absence of inclusions, the higher will be the price of the gemstone. Some common examples are black opal, boulder opal, Ethiopian opal, etc.

2. Fire Opal

Available in three colors, red, yellow, and orange, fire opal can be transparent to translucent. It is not as valuable as precious opal. Some varieties may exhibit a play of colors but most of them don’t. It should be noted that the word ‘fire’ here isn’t used for the colorful array of light as exhibited by precious opal, it is just because this variety is available in three colors all of which are primary colors of fire.

3. Common Opal

Common opal is called common because of two reasons- it’s appearance and its abundance. The single color stone doesn’t show any play of colors or any other mystical phenomenon which is the reason why it is not as prized as other opals. It is also its availability that makes it common because it is easily and abundantly available in many parts of the world. It is available in blue, pink, lilac, peach, and many other colors. Peruvian opal is the one that is widely used in jewelry-making from this category because of its subtle and soothing blue color. 

4. Precious Fire Opal

This is the type of opal that takes the best qualities of precious opal and fire opal and combines them in a lovely way. The play of colors from precious opals and the clear, almost transparent background make a precious fire opal. This gem contains the best of both worlds and is one of the rarest varieties of opal which means it is more expensive than any other type. 

If you are in search of latest 14k gold stud earrings and want to know more about it then please contact us in the comment section.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Different Types of Watch Indices

Image
Notable Watch Index Styles Watches are comprised of so many intricate details from the inside out, some you may not even think of. From an aesthetic perspective, you might prefer a particular case material, dial color, or bracelet style. One element you might overlook is the watch’s indices. Indices are another way to refer to the watch’s hour markers. You may be surprised at how much different types of watch indices can impact the look of the dial. Here, we’ve compiled some common types of indices for you to consider. Arabic Numerals Arabic numerals are the most common symbols for numbers today, replacing Roman numerals. They can appear in watches in different forms. Sometimes, Arabic numerals may number each hour marker from one to twelve. Other watch designs use Arabic numerals at the three, six, nine, and twelve-o’clock positions. Occasionally, you’ll see only a single twelve-o’clock Arabic numeral marker.  In some watches, elements like a date window or chr
Read more

Designer Jewelry: A Guide to Selecting What’s Right for You

Image
Maybe you’re intrigued by designer jewelry in general, or perhaps you’ve fallen hard for one particular line — here’s how to make it work with the rest of your jewelry wardrobe. You might be in the market for a little sparkle or ready to take your look to the next level. Whether you’re an old hand at collecting designer jewelry or you want to step it up by adding some more goodies to your jewelry box, it’s not always simple meshing your style of dress with designer pieces and ending up with a cohesive jewelry wardrobe. "Your favorite designer’s pieces echo the style of your wardrobe — be it sleek and modern, vintage-inspired or ornate and jewel-toned". There are several strategies for collecting designer jewelry, whether you’re just starting your collection or you’re a veteran fancier and just need to hone and edit your look a little bit. Collecting one designer If you’ve fallen in love with the work of one particular jewelry designer, there’s no reaso
Read more

This Strange Jewelry Thwarts Facial-Recognition Technology

Image
It can be a bit unsettling when Facebook recognizes the people in your photos and makes tag suggestions. It’s as if no one can escape the social media platform’s knowing eye. But Ewa Nowak, co-founder of the industrial design firm NOMA, might have a way to fly under the radar, Fast Company reports. A concept she describes as “face jewelry” includes “two brass circles that hang down from the cheekbones and an additional long piece of brass that stretches up the forehead,” according to Fast Company. You wear it from your ears like eyeglasses. The jewelry managed to  confound Facebook’s algorithms when Nowak uploaded photos to a gallery on the site. For now, Nowak views the design as art rather than a product. In fact, the work, which recently earned the Mazda Design Award at the Łódź Design Festival, can be thought of as a statement. Nowak, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland, submitted the face jewelry for an exhibition at the national museum
Read more