Opal ring meaning
Full Guide
about Opals
Are there people who exist who are not drawn in with admiration by opal and its depth, color and spells? Looking at this fascinating stone, you can simply forget about everything and get lost in its beauty.
Opal is unique among gemstones as it displays a variety of bright iridescent, shimmering effects combined together. And, due to the large amount of water in its composition, opals are also called living stones.
Opal is unique among gemstones as it displays a variety of bright iridescent, shimmering effects combined together. And, due to the large amount of water in its composition, opals are also called living stones.
Opal has suddenly become extremely popular and desirable because of its beauty and color play. But there is more to opal than any other stone, shrouded in legends and secrets. Let's try to look at this unique stone from various angles and you can create your own opinion about opal.
Due to the large amount of water in its composition, opals are also called living stones.
GEOLOGIC AND GEOGRAPHIC
The origin of opal is linked to the rains that flood lands combined with volcanic rocks. Rainwater was absorbed by the earth and, together with silica, enters the ancient rocks. Silica is oxygen along with silicon, which remains in the cracks between the rocks, from which stunning minerals form - opal.
Stone deposits are found in the form of stalactites and it is impossible to find in the form of a crystal. Opals can also be found in fossils, as well as in the structures of animal and plant remains.
The world's leading producer of opals is Australia, where mining began back in 1800. Mexico and Ethiopia are also fairly large suppliers of opals to the world. Opals are also mined in several other countries, including Indonesia, Brazil, Peru, Nicaragua, and others. Unfortunately, the high demand for opals means that real opals will disappear from some of the major mining sites in the coming decades.
OPAL COMPOSITION AND STRENGTH
The water content of opals can reach up to 20%. There is an opinion, that in order for an opal not to dry out, it must be worn constantly, so that it can absorb moisture from the air. You can't call opal extraordinarily strong, its hardness on the Mohs scale is only 5.5-6.5 out of 10, so you have to wear it very carefully.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF OPAL?
Prior to us describing opals, it is important to note that there are two types of opal: precious and ordinary. The main difference between the two is that precious opals have an extravagant play of color, whereas ordinary opals do not have such a characteristic, making them less attractive. As you can guess, ordinary opals are relatively common, and are generally considered useless, but precious opal is another matter, it is rare and can only be found in a few places around the world.
The quality and price of a precious opal depends on a few things. The intensity of color, uniformity, pattern, and the ability to see the play of color from every angle.
There are many varieties of precious opals that come in many different colors, and each one looks simply irresistible. Let's take a look at what kinds of opal exist:
Fire Opal
Fire Opal is a transparent or translucent stone that has a bright, fire-like background color of yellow, orange or red. Fire opal is named as such because of this color, and not because of the "color play" inside, as you might think. Fire opal can also show color spills, but this display is usually weak.
Ethiopian Fire Opal
The Ethiopian Fire Opal is an exceptionally beautiful orange, reddish or yellow opal with different shades of hue. They are amazingly beautiful due to their bright colors, from which it is impossible to take off your eyes. Such opals are mined in Ethiopia and are extraordinarily valuable.
Boulder Opal
Boulder Opal is one of the most valuable and expensive types of opal, which contains thin sections of opal surrounded and attached to its natural host rock. Boulder Opal is most often attached to brown ironstone, and the color contrast between opal and the host rock can be striking.
Solid Opal
Solid Opal is a stone consisting of purely opal material, without any inclusions inside, and it is not attached to a host rock. Interestingly, Solid Opal can be made of a combination of both precious and ordinary opal.
Matrix Opal
Matrix opal is an amazing stone in which the precious opal is very closely mixed with the host rock. This is what makes it different from Boulder Opal, where the opal is limited to cracks and seams.
There are various other types of opal, also defined by the color of the stone:
White Opal
White opal - a stone of white, yellow, or beige color. It is the most common type of precious opal.
Black Opal
Black opal is a dark stone, usually black or dark grey. This shade of stone makes the internal spills brighter and more interesting.
Crystal Opal
Crystal Opal - a semi-transparent or transparent opal with a shimmering effect inside.
Harlequin Opal
Harlequin Opal is a stone with colored diamond-shaped or rectangular spots inside.
Pinfire opal
Pinfire opal is interesting because the shining spots are present in large quantities throughout the entire stone.
In fact, there are many more kinds of opals. These varieties are all defined by the color of the stone, the geography of the deposit and the stone’s beauty. There are also some exceedingly rare specimens of stones such as Moss Opal - stones with inclusions similar to moss.
It is also worth mentioning about doublets and triplets. Very thin pieces of opal are often found and cannot be used in jewelry; in such cases, cutters collect them into doublets and triplets. What is the difference between doublets and triplets?
A Doublet consists of a black base, to which a thin layer of precious opal is glued.
A Triplet also consists of a base, and layer of opal, but a quartz dome is added to the top. This makes triplets perfect for rings, as quartz is harder than opal, it perfectly protects the underlying softer, more fragile stone.
CHARMING OPAL RINGS
HISTORY AND LEGENDS SURROUNDING OPALS
Many nations valued opal and even attributed supernatural origins and powers to them.
Opal also has a controversial side to its history. You may have heard of the superstition that opal brings misfortune and is an evil stone. Let us try to find out where this judgment originates.
In fact, this belief can be traced as the speculation of one writer, Walter Scott. In his work "Anne of Geuerstein", the author describes the story of Hermione, who dies shortly after a drop of holy water accidentally fell on her opal and destroyed its color. As you can guess, people started to ascribe bad luck and failures to opal, although in real life this has nothing to do with opal. The fact is, that at the time, these works were printed in parts, and the next section of the works explains that Hermione is not dying as a result of the opal. But apparently, it was already too late, and the popular rumor of the misfortunate events of the opal were spread faster than the end of the novel. Nevertheless, in ancient times opal was considered the luckiest and most magical of all gems!
OPAL PROPERTIES
Today opal is a beloved stone by people who believe in the power of gems and crystals for their healing and magical properties.
OPAL HEALING PROPERTIES
OPAL VALUE
Opals are valued for their beauty, their spills, and their play of color. The color of an opal can also has a significant impact on its value. It is worth recalling that it is the precious opals that are valuable, i.e. those that have internal shimmering. Along with the number of colored spots inside, the overall color of the opal, its size and appearance, all will have a reflection on the total value.
Opals are almost never valued in carats. Their value is determined by the beauty of the stone. This is why some varieties of opals can be more expensive than diamonds. One of the most expensive are black-colored opals.
All opals vary greatly in their internal color. Some only have red and orange, some also have green, and some even have yellow and blue. Black opals can have all these colors as well as violet. Stones with an abundance of red are usually also very expensive. One of the rarest opals is called the Harlequin Opal, their colors display a chessboard-like pattern.
WHO IS OPAL SUITED TO?
Opal and Chakras
Because of its different colors, it can be used to work with all chakras. For example:
Birthstone for which month?
Opal is the stone of October. October is a time for dreamers and lovers of beauty. Opal is believed to bring harmony and prosperity to its owner; it helps to clear minds and focus on what is important. Opal makes a person wiser and easier to make friends. The stone reduces the likelihood of depression and makes its owner less irritable.
Anniversary gift
Opal is accepted as a gift for the 14th wedding anniversary, it symbolizes spiritual purity, is considered a symbol of joy and change, as well as a talisman that brings good luck and guarantees loyalty.
Signs of the zodiac
According to the western horoscope, each zodiac sign has its main talisman stone. Opal is suitable for the following signs of the zodiac: Libra and Taurus.
Opal is accepted as a gift for the 14th wedding anniversary, it symbolizes spiritual purity.
IS OPAL A GOOD GIFT?
An opal is a great gift for many people. It can be given not only to people born in October, but to anyone. If you have ever heard of giving opal to people who are only born in the month of birth, this is not the case. This reputation for opal was created by traders in other stones who felt serious competition. So, do not trust such superstition and give a magical and incredible gift of opal to your loved ones. The many conflicting beliefs allow you to create a personal attitude towards opal and give your own meaning to the stone.
By the way, in Europe the best gift for creative people is considered to be a talisman of white opal, and do not forget about the 14th anniversary of your wedding, because that is when it is customary to give opal.
THE MEANING OF AN OPAL ENGAGEMENT RING
Nowadays, the beauty and the rarity of high-quality opals has made them the main choice for a unique wedding ring. Opals are believed to symbolize fidelity, and as an engagement ring, opals are the perfect embodiment of the spark and fire within your relationship.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO WEAR OPAL JEWELRY?
Gemstones, including opal, are not just expensive jewelry, but also a talisman, an amulet endowed with healing and magical properties, so you should ensure you wear opal correctly.
ON WHICH FINGER SHOULD AN OPAL BE WORN?
Wearing opal jewelry also means that you have to consider whether opal is compatible with other stones. Opal combines well with such stones as aquamarine, beryl, topaz, malachite, agate, garnet, sapphire, onyx, jade, tourmaline, crystal, chrysoprase and carnelian.
OPAL CARE
Opal care is slightly different from that of other stones because of the physical properties of the stone. Opal is a fragile stone, so it must be worn and stored with great care.
Another feature of opal is the high presence of water within the stone. Losing water in an opal can cause the mineral to crack.
That's why you should not wear your jewelry with a stone too rarely, as it cannot take the necessary amount of moisture from the environment on its own. If you don't wear the stone, you should store it in a place with a high humidity level. You should also avoid wearing opal jewelry in dry and hot weather.
Many people think that opals are strictly prohibited from contact with water, but this only applies to duplets and triplets. Whole opals are not afraid of water at all.
Otherwise, the rules for taking care of opals are similar to the rules for taking care of other stones: limit the constant exposure to sunlight and chemicals, store them in a box with soft walls, and only clean them with gentle agents and a soft cloth. It is also not recommended to give opal for cleaning in ultrasound baths, as the stone can deteriorate.
What to do if Opal lost its Color?
Because of the reasonable moisture content of an opal, it is important to keep the water balanced within. Due to a sudden drop in temperature, an opal may lose some of its water inside, and as a result, it may crack and the colored veins in the stone may disappear.
So, what if the stone has lost its attractive appearance?
If your opal is faded or scratched, the only thing you can do is to get it repolished through a jewelry workshop. You shouldn't try to restore the appearance of the stone yourself, so as not to make the damage worse.
IS OPAL SUITABLE FOR YOU?
There are personality traits that can influence your decision for this stone:
Opal is an incredible stone with an interesting story. Anyone who has ever seen opal with its play on colors knows how fascinating it is. Throw away all the legends and beliefs about opal and let yourself be touched by its amazing energy and power.
Kindly note that healing gemstone meanings are not prescriptions or healthcare information.
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