To Care For Your Opal Jewelry

 These somewhat fragile but so lovely gems are unique among the gemstones. I have taken rough material, cut and polished many opals. I cannot count the number of opal stones I have set into jewelry. I do love fire opal jewelry.

Opal advice. Here are the main things to think about when wearing and storing opal jewelry. First of all, opal is not as strong as some other stones but certainly is as durable as most emeralds you see. Opal is not as hard as emeralds but most emeralds will chip easily an due to internal flaws may even be damaged by cleaning! Opal is pretty safe when cleaned properly and is not going to chip or break unless it is give an nasty knock. You do have to be careful not to let the stone run against hard things or knock it around. Then again, who wants to knock around any jewelry!

Opal is a "glass-like" material, very similar to glass with a few particular exceptions: The glass-like structure explains the ability of opal to chip or scratch. Think of opal as glass and you will take good care of it automatically. Then again, although made of the same silica material as glass, opal is quiet different and that difference is what makes this precious stone so wonderful. Imagine taking a bunch of glass marbles and put those into a cereal bowl. Fill the bowl with water just enough to cover the marbles.

This is a simple visual example of how opal is constructed inside the gem. Over time, small spheres (balls) of silica come together and layer together until a complete stone is formed. Between the microscopic beads of silica is some water. Of course, the beads or balls of silica in an opal are much more tightly together than in the "marbles in a bowl" example and the water is much less. Opals may contain up to about 10% water.

The color and fire of an opal comes from the groups of the silica balls. The very size of the balls determines what light is reflected back to the eye. Some groups are close enough to reflect red light while others spaced a bit differently will reflect blue or green light. The balls break up the light and reflect a certain color depending on the size of the silica balls and the spacing of the balls in the gemstone.This is where the color comes from.

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Opal Jewelry Information

The earliest known fire opal jewelry artifacts uncovered in a cave in Kenya by famous anthropologist Louis Leakey were said to have dated back to about 4000 B.C., and were most likely originated from Ethiopia. History shows that the discovery and cultivation of the opal stone was important to the prestige and power of several ancient civilizations. As early humans continued to unearth various new and rare gemstones from the caves and crevices in which they were deposited hundreds of years before, they soon learned how to work them into decorative shapes. Once the craft of shaping opal jewelry was mastered, these mysteriously illuminating gems were rendered priceless, and revered for symbolizing great power and wealth.

What is Opal?

The modern name for the opal gem is derived from the Latin word "Opalus," meaning: "to see a color change." Scientifically, opal is an amorphous mineraloid comprised of water and a rich mix of silica composites. Opal jewelry may range anywhere in color from white or grey, to black. Black opals are the most valuable and widely known type of opal, because the rainbow of colors that the opal stone omits appears much more vibrant when standing-out against the backdrop of a darker stone. Black opals are unique and very expensive. This is because they can only be found in one location in all of the world. The place is called Lightning Ridge, and it is in Northern New South Wales. This miners' dream is home to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of precious black opal stones--stone's whose net worth value can be priced at such exponential rates as up to $15,000 per carat.

Where does Opal come from?

Since the late 19th Century, Australia has been the number one country in opal export and production, contributing more than ninety percent of the global output. Opal of differing qualities occurs in over twenty other countries, and is particularly indigenous to Zambia, Ethiopia, Peru, Indonesia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Brazil, and Mexico.

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Fire Opal - A Cool Stone With Lots of Heat

 All fire opal jewelry are made of silicon dioxide and water. The amount of water varies and determines the fragility of the individual stone. This gemstone is formed when silicon dioxide becomes wet and turns to a gel. This gel substance then works its way into the open spaces between rocks and caves. As it sets, an opal is formed.

Typically, the gemstone retains about 10% water content which makes it quite soft and delicate. They also come in a variety of colors-shades of blue, green, pink, black, white, red, yellow and orange. This stone is coveted for its play of color which is the dazzling display of color as light bounces off the spheres of silica.

The fire opal is one gemstone that is less desired for its play of color as it is for its actual color. As the name implies, this stone is afire with reds, yellows and oranges. Finding a fire opal pendant with hot shades as well as play of color offers the best of both worlds.

Where do they come from?

This fiery stone typically comes from Mexico. In fact, it is the country's official gemstone. Ancient Mayans and Aztecs used the fire opal in their mosaic creations and also in special ceremonies. While most of the gemstones on the market likely came from Mexico, there are other mines located in the United States, South America and Australia among others. Most recently, significant deposits were found in Brazil and the stones were of considerable size.

Shop Now: https://australianopaldirect.com/

Fire Opal - A Cool Stone With Lots of Heat

 All fire opal jewelrys are made of silicon dioxide and water. The amount of water varies and determines the fragility of the individual stone. This gemstone is formed when silicon dioxide becomes wet and turns to a gel. This gel substance then works its way into the open spaces between rocks and caves. As it sets, an opal is formed.

Typically, the gemstone retains about 10% water content which makes it quite soft and delicate. They also come in a variety of colors-shades of blue, green, pink, black, white, red, yellow and orange. This stone is coveted for its play of color which is the dazzling display of color as light bounces off the spheres of silica.

The fire opal is one gemstone that is less desired for its play of color as it is for its actual color. As the name implies, this stone is afire with reds, yellows and oranges. Finding a fire opal pendant with hot shades as well as play of color offers the best of both worlds.

Where do they come from?

This fiery stone typically comes from Mexico. In fact, it is the country's official gemstone. Ancient Mayans and Aztecs used the fire opal in their mosaic creations and also in special ceremonies. While most of the gemstones on the market likely came from Mexico, there are other mines located in the United States, South America and Australia among others. Most recently, significant deposits were found in Brazil and the stones were of considerable size.

Special days for a special stone

The opal is the birthstone for October. This is a great time to surprise a birthday girl with the bold hot shades of a fire opal bracelet instead of the more commonly known pastel iridescent gemstones. Just looking at it will lift her spirits and energize her. Another special day reserved for this stone is the 14th wedding anniversary. After all these years, the love is still burning strong. What better way to show this than with a smoldering hot fire opal.

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