In order to best bring out the colour in an opal, the stones are best cut and polished to round or oval cabochons. You will see that the opal earrings on offer at the Diamond Store are presented in this way with gold mounts to further enhance the lustre and colour of the stones. Opals always contain between 2-6% water. If they are stored in too dry a place or exposed to heat over a long period of time, fissures will appear and the play of colour will become paler. Opal jewellery should therefore be worn as often as possible so that the gemstone absorbs humidity from the air and the wearer’s skin.
Opal is the modern birthstone for the month of October and the accepted gem for the 14th wedding anniversary. Opals are also supposed to enhance the positive characteristics for people born under the zodiac sign of Cancer. Black Opal is linked to those born under Scorpio, and Boulder Opal is the lucky stone for Aries.
The name opal comes from the Roman opalus and from the Greek opallios appropriately meaning "to see a change of colour”, because of the unique colour play they offer. Every opal has a life of its own offering changing hues of green, blue, pink, orange and red as you turn it in different directions.
Opals are found in Mexico, Brazil, USA, Japan, Honduras, Kenya, Czechoslovakia, Peru, Canada and Australia. There are many different types available; the three that are best known are white (where the play of colour is against a light or white background): black (which is the most valuable and found only in Australia) and fire which tends to be a beautiful reddish stone and is found most mostly in Mexico.
Opals are steeped in tradition with the Ancient Greeks believing that they gave the wearer powers of foresight and prophecy, and the Romans regarded it as a token of hope and purity. Napoleon gave an opal to Josephine; Queen Victoria often gave them as wedding gifts Scandinavian women wore opals in their hair to stop it from going grey; and it is even rumoured that Cleopatra wore an opal; using its changing colours to attract the attention of Mark Anthony.
The Diamond Store currently has some great offers on opal earrings. Because of their neutral and reflective colouring they make excellent gifts and can be worn with all manner of outfits. They are also very soft and flattering gemstones to wear.
