Opal – Bliss From Paris

Today I present you a beautiful gem with deep reflections in changing colors, this is the magnificent opal.

The etymology of the term opal comes from the Sanskrit word upala meaning “precious stone”, which is at the origin of the Greek opallion and Latin opalus. Opal belongs to the family of silicates and is composed of micro-spheres of hydrated silica. The water content is usually between 3 and 9%, it can reach 20% depending on the variety.

When the light enters the opal, it turns around particles suspended in the water inside the stone. When it is diffracted, the light that is composed of all visible colors produces a rainbow of colors. There are many varieties and colors. The best known are white or light opal, black or very dark opal, harlequin or multicolored opal and the flaming opal of fire.

Opal is relatively widespread in nature and the main deposits are found in Australia, but we also find it in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Peru and Ethiopia.

Opal has always fascinated human. It is a fragile gemstone that breaks easily. That’s what got her a bad name, it was said she was bad luck. This rumor was propagated in the late nineteenth century by a Walter Scott novel “Anne of Geirstein”. Obviously his assumptions do not scare the jewelers who use it wonderfully. Some designers love opal so much that this stone has become their favorite and signature at a time.

Finally, I propose a world tour of the most beautiful opals from here and elsewhere.