Stone of Hope
Opal is the world’s most popular phenomenal gem, credited with supernatural origins and power. All of Nature’s splendour seems to be reflected in the manifold opulence of fine Opals: fire and lightnings, all the colours of the rainbow and the soft shine of far seas.
Many cultures have credited opal with supernatural origins and powers. Arabic legends say it falls from the heavens in flashes. The ancient Greeks believed opals gave their owners the gift of prophecy and guarded them from diseases. Europeans have long considered the gem a symbol of hope, purity and truth. Opal is considered an October birthstone.
HARDNESS
5 - 6.5
Treatment
Impregnated with colorless oil, wax and resins.
COLOR
White, Black, Light Blue, Multicolour.
Features & Traits
Opal is the product of occasional rains that drenched dry ground. The showers soak deep into ancient underground rock, carrying dissolved silica downward. During dry periods, water evaporates, leaving solid deposits of silica, between layers of underground sedimentary rock – which forms Opals.
Fine Opals share one characteristic: they shine and sparkle in a continually changing play of colours full of fantasy, which experts describe as “opalising”.
This type of opal exhibits a full play of colour, ranging from yellow, blue and green to violet, fiery red and orange. The more colourful the opal, the more valuable it will be. Apart from the play of colour, the body tone, pattern, brilliance and type of opal all play important roles in determining its value.