Opal Jewelry

     The opal is the birthstone for those born in October. Opal is very brittle, heat sensitive and breaks and scratches easily. Some kinds of opal self-destruct through the loss of water. Even though it has these drawbacks, opal is still a premier gemstone which makes opal jewelry very common. The name is evolved from the Roman word Opalus, from the Greek word opallios which means "to see a change of colour."

     Opal has been a treasured gemstone for centuries. There have been different beliefs about what wearing opal means:

- The Greeks thought that wearing opals gave their owners the powers of foresight and prophecy.

- The Romans felt it was a token of hope and purity.

- Eastern people regarded opal as sacred.

- Arabs believed it fell from heaven.

- In the nineteenth century, superstitions grew about the bad luck or fate that could befall one for wearing opal if it is not the wearers birthstone. These superstitions have diminished, but some people believe it is bad luck to wear opals.

     There are over one hundred varieties and trade names of opal. The most important and most widely known opal is the precious opal. Precious opal may be subdivided further by colour modifiers - white, black, pinks and blue, which describe the body colour of opals.
     Australia is famous for its white and black precious opals. Fire opal, which is a bright red, reddish-yellow, orange body coloured opal is the second most important opal commercially.

Related Links:
opal-jewelry/value.html
opal-jewelry/care.html
opal-jewelry/genuine.html