Opals are definitely the stuff of fable! These attractive gems were popular for thousands of years as a result of their attractive play of color as well as their opalescence, however, these gemstones have also had the reputation of being unlucky. So why this is? I want to explain a little bit more about this delightful gemstone, a particular favourite of mine and suitable for jewellery gifts
Even the name refers to beauty, since it means ‘precious stone’ and comes from Latin ‘Opalus’, or the Sanskrit ‘upalas’. It is the birthstone for people born in October. It also appears as a Zodiac stone for those born under Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio, and is the stone for the 13th wedding anniversary and unusual engagement rings. Depends whether you consider the number 13 to be unlucky, I suppose! The majority of quality opals are mined in Australia. Opals are formed from liquid silica which flowed into a gap or cavity and cooled, thus resulting in some very unusual shapes, such as wood, seashells and even dinosaur bones! This also means that opals have comparatively high water content, around 10%. For this reason they should never be allowed to dry out. Be especially careful with central heating radiators, or direct sunlight. I have found it’s advisable to store them inside a jewelry box or case when they are not being used. Soaps also affects them so don’t do the dishes with them! Not every opal is gemstone quality on the other hand, nevertheless the ones which are usually have to be treated to make them more desirable as well as safeguard them from becoming dry.
Opal gemstones can be manmade (either synthesized or modified in some way) and so you can find various types of opal which have been synthetically manufactured. So that you ought to be cautious when choosing opal gemstone jewelry. The man made opals are often named doublets or triplets. A doublet is usually a paper thin slice of authentic opal glued over a black backing, such as a section of black onyx stone. Triplets are basically doublets which has a clear glass, or quartz capping, as well as a plastic or stone back. A double opal is a lot more valuable compared to a triplet since it is made up of more of the stone. Triplets are great since they’re more affordable when compared to a full stone while looking very eye-catching for just a small fraction of the price. These are best seen in unusual engagement rings, bracelets for women and necklaces. Silver necklaces for women apparently go well with it best. Costume jewelry typically contains triplets.
Opal is often a gemstone of security, loyalty and commitment. It is known that it could boost super sensible vision and inventiveness. These are magical gem stones of high vibrations. As a result, they’re able to possess a wide spectrum of application on the actual physical as well as the greater levels of existence. Some state that opal has the ability to take in feelings and thoughts, to further improve them, and send them back towards the source. It is actually linked to the eye. Mainly because of superstition, opal was thought to be misfortune. It was considered that opal can allow its bearer an influence of invisibility – thus it acquired a negative reputation as an amulet for criminals. During medieval times opal was frequently disliked because of its similarities to the eyes of some “evil” creatures. As a result, this lovely gemstone used to induce the fear of the “Evil Eye”. Whilst others, such as Romans as an example, deemed that it awarded protection from it, so make of that whatever you like! In my opinion, it seems like a pity to allow superstition keep you from making the most of this wonderful stone, so why not take a look at my website, www.myjewellerystore.co.uk for some beautiful examples on sale from selected retailers.
Written by Michelle Michaelis, who loves writing about jewellery almost as much as she enjoys wearing it!