The earliest known 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.
What makes Opal Jewelry so Special?
Opal, whose colors changed with every shift of light, was rarer than pearls and diamonds, and destined to be the most common gem to be associated with the reflection of one's innermost desires and dreams. Early races believed that the opal stone possessed mystical energies that would enable its wearer to see the future. Opal jewelry is said to carry within it an innate sense of magic, and obtain the powers of prophetic insight and understanding for its wearer. Opal's beautifully reflecting and ever-changing spectral hues were believed to be a powerful and potent charm which allowed one to let go of their inhibitions and encouraged spontaneity. Opal jewelry is also rumored to aid in obtaining clarity. The opal, which looks different at every angle from which the stone is viewed, is said to have the power to amplify and mirror internal feelings, buried emotions, and desires. According to ancient Arabian folklore, the opal stone descended from heaven in powerful flashes of lightning. To the Romans, opal was considered to be a token of hope and one of purity.
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