Opal

An opal is one of the most sought after and beautiful multi colored gemstones in the world today. Only an opal can display the entire range of spectral hues in a wonderful balance. In this day and age it is regarded very highly and one of its prized varieties, the black opal is in fact more expensive than even diamond. This beautiful gemstone is sought after worldwide as collectors search for the perfect piece to compliment their dress and character. Individual pieces have varying hues from electric blues and greens, and fiery reds to the softer and mild colors like pastels that hint with warm personality and uniqueness.

This idyllic gemstoneis said to be over 60 million years old. One of the unique characteristics of this stone is its opalescence. The stone has a rainbow like iridescence that changes according to the angle of observation. The stone possesses the ability to reflect and refract particular wavelengths of light.

The opal is said to be over 60 million years old. One of the unique characteristics of this stone is its opalescence. The stone has a rainbow like iridescence that changes according to the angle of observation. The stone possesses the ability to reflect and refract particular wavelengths of light.

This precious stone interacts with light to create flashes or sparks of blue, yellow, green, red and orange and occasionally purple and aqua. While red is considered to be the rarest, blue is quite common. An opal that displays red often shows most other colors as well. Milky, clear gray, brown or black are the usual body tones of an opal.

Opals are of different varieties such as black, white, fire opal, crystal and what is called common.The most expensive and prized variety is black opal. It contains streaks of fire on a dark body color. The white opasl are opaque and have color in flashes or speckles. The fire-opal originates from Mexico and is usually orange, red or yellow in color. Crystal type is transparent and shows brilliant flashes of color. Common opal or potch (that is, with no play of color) is available in abundance and is the most affordable variety available. Boulder is another variant that has a layer of ironstone rock on its backing.

Stones are cut in Australia, Mexico, Hong Kong, Germany etc. Every stone has a unique play of pattern and color. They can in fact be made into ornamental jewelry like rings, bracelets, earrings, and many other pieces of jewelry. Evaluating a stone or a piece of jewelry that contains this wonderful stone is at times quite difficult. A good knowledge of the stone is necessary. It is difficult for an untrained individual to tell the difference between a high quality stone and a synthetic or manufactured opal.

The quality of an opal is judged or determined by its intensity. They flare and flash in any kind of light and red is an indication of the highest quality of the stone. Good quality stones indicate flashes of color that can be noticed from almost any angle or direction. It is crucial to meticulously evaluate the quality of the stone before any purchase is made.

Opal comes in a variety of options and prices. Opal is actually quite affordable and prices begin as low as $10 and are much sought after by people today.

Visting an opalmine can be much easier and more rewarding than you think in this day and age. With modern technologies you can search an opal encyclopedia online to view all sorts of gems and jewelry, discover history of mining and find interesting information on opals.