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Opals in Today's Silver Jewelry Designs   by Dale Arnold

Opal is a mineraloid gel which is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, and basalt. Its water content is usually between three and ten percent, but can be as high as 20%. Opal has no crystalline structure and is considered to be an amorphous hydrated form of silica. However, the stone does possess an internal structure. Random chains of silicon and oxygen are packed into extraordinarily tiny spheres. These spheres in most Opals are irregular in size and inconsistent in concentration. The silicate minerals in the stone add to its weight, giving it a specific gravity ranging from 1.98 to 2.5 times that of pure water. Opal's scratch hardness is measured at 6.0 to 6.5 on the Mohs' scale, similar in hardness to quartz, a little more than halfway between the hardness of talc and diamond. Opal can easily be dehydrated by heat or chemical exposure. Is very porous and can be damaged by many chemicals. Opal is quite popular in current fashion jewelry trends, and is often used as the focal stone in silver jewelry.

Opal is a beautiful gemstone and has been considered to be a bearer of good luck in many cultures. Strangely enough, other cultures consider it to be unlucky because of its fragility and tendency to break and scratch easily. Opals are found in wide range of colors and shades such as black, red yellow and white. Opal found in white color with dotted fireflies of red, gold, blue, purple and green is the favorite and valuable possession of gem lovers. Opal is considered as the queen of gemstones. Several varieties of opal are available and each variety is attractive in it own way. The finest opals today are found in Australia. Fire opals in particular, are found in Mexico. Other countries such as Honduras, Mexico, former Czechoslovakia and Brazil produce minor amounts of opals.

Like most gemstones, there are several myths and tales associated with opals. However, the legend behind the origin of opals is particularly interesting. According to Australian aboriginal folklore, the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow, in order to bring the message of peace to all the humans. And at the very spot, where his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and started sparkling in all the colours of the rainbow. The early Greeks believed opal bestowed its owner with the powers of foresight and prophesy. Romans perceived opal as a token of hope and purity. Arabs believed it fell from heaven. Medieval peoples, however, associated opal with the Evil Eye and even the Black Plague or thought it made a person invisible when the gem was wrapped in a bay leaf. It is believed that the gemstone promotes beauty, power and financial prosperity, and is especially beneficial for those in business especially for people who are connected with travel and tourism and imports and exports.

About the Author

Dale is a geo-professional and an amateur sterling silver jewelry buff