Here at Sunburst Creation Jewelry, Opal is my passion. It is the stone that grabbed my attention and never let go. I never can get over the flames of opals, they will forever be my muse. So I have dedicated a blog to them because they are true magical stones of great importance.
Opal is known as the magical Eye Stone. This is a stone dedicated to the eye, it inspires love and hope, innocence and purity, luck and happiness.
The Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, described opalus - the Opal, as a precious stone containing the fiery flame of the carbuncle (Garnet), the resplendent purple of the Amethyst, and the sea-green glory of the Emerald - all shining together in incredible union and exquisite pleasure. It was considered by all in the ancient world to be the most bewitching and mysterious gem, worn for its virtues of soothing and strengthening the sight, healing diseases of the eyes, and capable of providing great luck, as it possessed all the virtues of the gemstones whose colors reside within it.
Yet for all its beauty and enviable desire, this “Queen of Gems’” reputation, for a time, was deemed bad luck - linked with rumors, misfortunes and mysterious fatalities. Opal was not and is not in fact a bad luck Stone. It was becoming a very popular gemstone for wedding rings and engagement rings. The diamond industry was becoming worried their products wouldn’t compete and they began spreading rumors that it was bad luck to own an opal unless it was your Birthstone, just like that it was unpopular. Despite the superstitions, the magical Opal was redeemed in the twentieth century, and is a favorite gem, especially to all who are born in October. Opal is also the gift given for a 14th wedding anniversary.
In the metaphysical world, Opal acts as a prism bringing a full spectrum of Light energy to the system, soothing and clearing the emotional body, and boosting the will to live and the joy of one’s earthly existence. It brings optimism, enthusiasm and creativity, opals are inspiring in love and in passion. Opal enhances cosmic consciousness and stimulates flashes of intuition and insight. Opals are protective stones that bring about a deep inner working, healing meditations, and lower world shamanic journeys.
Opal is most known for its ability to bring about traits and characteristics to the surface for inspection and transformation. Just as Opal absorbs and reflects light, it also has the ability to pick up thoughts and feelings, desires and buried emotions, amplifying them and returning them to the source. Opals are known as a karmic stone with a reminder that what is sent out will return back to them.
Opal is hydrated silicon dioxide - submicroscopic silica spheres bonded together with water and additional silica, sometimes it contains the minerals cristobalite and tridymite. It is amorphous - it has no crystalline structure and no definite chemical composition, so it is considered as a “mineraloid” rather than a “mineral.” An opal is formed when over time, this gelatinous mix seeps deep into fractures, veins and between the layers of underground sedimentary rock. It solidifies the material and then the Opal is formed when much of the water evaporates. In rare circumstances, Opal form in masses exhibiting botryoidal growth, in stalagmitic form, or became the replacement material in fossils. After it solidifies Opals maintain a water content ranging from 3% to 21% by weight, usually between 6% and 10%.
Of the three basic types of Opals, the “Precious Opal,” also called “Rainbow Opal,” is the rarest. It is mined only in a limited number of locations worldwide and produces brilliant flashes or streaks of iridescent color when turned in the light, this is a phenomenon known as “play of color.” The color is not due to pigmentation in the stone, but is an optical effects created when the microscopic spheres of silica hardened in an orderly grid-like pattern. The spacing between the spheres causes light waves to travel through Opal’s internal structure and to diffract and break up into the colors of the spectrum. The size of the spheres and their geometric packing determine what the color and quality of the diffracted light, and therefor the value of the Opal.
“Common Opal,” also known as “Potch,” is found in many places throughout the world. It forms with spheres of unorderly sizes or stacking, and does not exhibit play of color. It usually has a milky or pearly like luster, known as “opalescence.”
The third type is “Fire Opal,” which is a transparent to translucent Opal with a body color consisting of either a vivid red, orange or yellow, it is mostly mined in Mexico. It typically shows no play of color, though occasionally a stone will have a weak display or exhibit bright green flashes.
Some of the most common varieties of Opal are listed below with brief descriptions and a summary of their metaphysical properties:
Andean Opal or Peruvian Opal - Common Opal from the Andes Mountains of Peru; translucent to opaque, soft pastel blue, blue-green or pink with a pearly sheen, sometimes cut to include the black or beige matrix in the more opaque stones. Andean Opal is considered to be a gift from Pachamama, the earliest Inca Goddess of Fruitfulness and Mother Earth, and is wonderfully soothing for children and animals, and adults overwhelmed by life.
Black or Precious Black Opal - Precious Opal with a dark body color, usually black or dark gray, deep blue or green; the deep body color makes the iridescent play of color extremely different from light colored Opals. The majority of Black Precious Opals come from Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia and are the most famous and sought after Opals in the world. Black Opal is considered to be extremely lucky and the most uplifting of the Opals. Black opal is said to bring Light into the aura. It eases distress, dissolves depression and hopelessness. Black opal can help you face your darkest fears and to release the energies which is holding you back. It is a protective stone for deep inner work, soul retrieval or past-life recall, and can be used for seeing into the past, present or future. Black Opal is knows as a Storm element stone signifying death and re-birth, and utilizes the Fire energy.
Boulder Opal - Precious Opal that forms within voids or fractures of its host rock, usually ironstone or sandstone, and because the veins are quite thin, is cut with the stone left on the back for support or as layers of Opal within the matrix stone. Mined in Queensland, Australia, each finished piece is unique and special. As close-to-natures true talismans, a Boulder Opal carries not only warm Earth energies, but also the illuminating energy of Fire. Use Boulder opals for perseverance when the going gets tough, and holding in an earthy place to connect with the earth and plant spirits.
Common or “Potch” Opal - Opal found in many locations around the world that is generally opaque and does not exhibit play of color. It forms in nearly all colors, has a lustrous sheen. Common Opal tune you with the higher self and the ethereal realm, bringing a calm, centered mind for prayer and meditation. These opals can attract angelic beings and are ideal gifts to leave for them in some unseen spot.
Crystal Opal - transparent to semi-transparent Precious Opal, with an exceptional play of color; the “see-through” body color can be colorless, light or dark. Crystal Opal is a perfect stone of health, healing and supporting the entire being of ones self. It brings good spirits and a deep feeling of joy and exuberance. Crystal opals use the element of Fire to inspire cleverness, imagination and creativity, art, poetry, and helps you understand what will continue to exist after the completion of your stay on this earthly realm of the physical body. Crystal Opals can be used for “gazing” and to stimulate visions from within the realms of eternity.
Ethiopian Opal - hydrophane Opal that form in nodules within volcanic ash, they are formed in seams between rhyolite layers. This opal occurs in a variety of colors (pretty much every color of the rainbow) and the patterns are usually displayed as a brilliant flash of color. These wonderful Opals are from the Welo district of Ethiopia discovered in 2008, they have been proven to be extremely stable opals. These unique opals are able to absorb water and change transparency or opacity. They then revert back to their original state with no adverse reaction or cracking. These magical opals carry a soul holograph and give access to the past, present and future. Ethiopian Opals carry positive dragon energy, for both personal and planetary use.
