Hyalite. Noble opal: photo, characteristics and meaning of the stone. Names of opals assigned to them according to the geographical location of their extraction

The name "opal" comes from the Sanskrit word upala - precious stone. Other names for the mineral and its varieties: royal opal, harlequin, girazole, girazole, hydrophane, hyalite. Refers to precious stones. Opal is a silica hydrogel. The color of minerals can be red, green, yellow, blue, pale milky, etc. There are stones with a bright green border and a dark red center. The shine is glassy.

Opal does not have the crystalline structure characteristic of minerals. It has a low hardness rating. But it is impossible to ignore the beauty of the color effect called opalescence. The rainbow iridescence, which changes with the slightest rotation of the stone, is caused by the refraction of light on ordered submicroscopic silica particles. Those opals that exhibit this effect are called noble and belong to the category of precious stones.

The water content in their structure ranges from 0.4 to 32%. The properties of opals and their jewelry quality mainly depend on its quantity. For those stones that are classified as noble, the weight ratio of water to other elements is in the range of 6-10%. The more water, the more transparent the opal. When completely dry, it becomes completely opaque and may even crack and crumble.

More than 90% of all opal used in the world comes from Australia. The remaining deposits are distributed over other continents. The oldest mines are located in the Czech Republic, in the Cherventsy region. It was there that the main mining of the magnificent stone was concentrated before its discovery in Australia. Now very beautiful opals of various types are mined in North America. There are small deposits in several places in Ukraine and in Kamchatka in Russia.

The inclusion of oxides of various chemical elements leads to the appearance of color in the opal. When classifying opals in terms of structure, more than forty varieties have been identified. These include, among others, the following types:

Matrix- noble black opal with small areas of shimmering other colors.

Harlequin, in which colored areas create a mosaic of polygons.

Fire opal, in which the opalescent areas have a fiery orange hue.

Regular opal- an opaque stone of varied colors.

The most commonly used opals for jewelry are white (milky) opal, orange-red and dark blue, called black because of its very dark shade. The factor by which a stone is assessed is the level of opalescence, that is, the play of color within the sample.

A very beautiful noble opal is also very capricious. It must be worn to prevent it from drying out. At the same time, it must be removed if there is a risk of ingress of any chemical elements - acids or cleaning agents. The opal can be washed in soapy water at room temperature and then kept wrapped in a damp cloth for several hours. Then you can dry it and keep it in the sun for a while.

Opal is a gemstone widely used by jewelers. Since opals have been known for a long time, there are probably no areas of jewelry art left where they are not used. These days, gem-quality precious opals are back in fashion. Precious opals, as a rule, are not cut; they are cut into cabochons and encrusted into jewelry (although opals are beautiful even on their own). Since opal is a precious stone, it is priced accordingly.

Opal brings happiness, drives away dark thoughts and fears, and protects the owner from illness. As a talisman, opal predetermines success in all endeavors. In India, they believe that opals help children grow, enlighten the mind, dissolve dark thoughts and fears, and promote communication between people and friendly relationships. In Europe, opal is a symbol of trust, happiness, hope, tender love, pure thoughts and sympathy. But in the East, opal is considered a stone of deceptive hopes and illusions, darkening the mind with empty dreams and all kinds of fears.

In ancient times, this stone was highly valued. Demand for opals exceeded supply. Pliny told the story that the disgrace of the noble Roman senator Nonnius aroused the envy of Emperor Anthony. The senator did not agree to sell his stone. Then the emperor sentenced the owner of the beautiful stone to exile. Nonnius chose to leave Rome and leave his seat in the Senate, but keep the opal with him.

Around the 11th century. opal gradually moved from the category of favorable stones to the category of unlucky ones, clearly under the influence of jewelers and cutters who did not like the stone for its fragility. In the 16th century The plague epidemic that swept through Italy was attributed to the action of opal. (We had to find the culprit!)

In England during the time of Elizabeth I, opal was highly valued, although Shakespeare considered the stone a symbol of impermanence and mentioned it in his plays. So in “Twelfth Night” the jester says to the duke: “... And let the tailor make you a doublet from iridescent taffeta, for your soul is like changeable opal.”

Fiery or bluish-blue European opals are suitable only for strong Pisces and Scorpios, those who can distinguish danger by color changes. They are believed to fill the mind with empty dreams. The same stones that are mined in Australia and Ukraine bring good luck, and to the greatest extent, to Sagittarius. Only this luck is not about obtaining material wealth, but about striving for a high goal.

Aries and Taurus can wear jewelry with any opal except black. Astrologers advise Gemini, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn to prefer only fiery. Cancers and Aquarius are suitable for opal of any color, if they really like it. Scorpios should pay attention to fire and black opals, but not get carried away with white ones.

The fact that noble opal aroused the deepest admiration in ancient times is clear from Pliny’s description of this stone: “Of all precious stones, it is opal that causes the greatest difficulty in description. It is characterized by the sharp play of light of the carbuncle, the violet reflection of the amethyst, the aquamarine tones of the emerald - all mixed together and shining with indescribable brightness." From the following description it appears that fraudsters, even in those early days, were well acquainted with the possibility of making counterfeit opals from glass.

Pliny offers a test to distinguish a real opal from a fake one, which, however, cannot be considered reliable: “There is no stone that swindlers counterfeit with greater skill than this. The only way to detect deception is sunlight. If a fake opal made of glass is taken with the thumb and forefinger and allowed the rays of the sun to fall on it, it shows the same color over the entire surface of the stone and does not emit any radiance. At the same time, true opal emits successively different bright rays, its color constantly changes and it casts bright reflections on the fingers.”

Opals can easily dissolve in an alkaline environment. The intrinsic color of opals mainly depends on the impurities contained in the stone. To classify opals, the degree of brilliance of the stone, its transparency and color are taken into account. Be sure to pay attention to the hardness of the stones and the presence of various types of impurities.
Noble opal belongs to precious stones; the best examples are highly valued. To better display the color play of noble opals, they are given round or oval cabochons or other convex shapes, depending on the configurations of the raw materials.

As was known in the time of Pliny, opal can be imitated by heating glass and then quickly cooling it, causing it to become cracked. Because these cracks are filled with air rather than solid material, the resulting imitations are quite mediocre. Since precious opal is often found in the form of thin films, opal doublets are quite common, in which the film of opal is artificially bonded to some kind of substrate. The latter can be low-quality opal, black onyx or black paste. In an opal triplet, the opal film is covered with a cabochon-shaped piece of rock crystal, which protects the opal from damage, but modifies its brilliance and iridescence. You can often come across an imitation of black opal, obtained by impregnating low-quality opal with a sugar solution and then treating it with sulfuric acid.

Now let's admire the work of the master jewelers who decorated this stone into beautiful jewelry :)

Opal stone (its name is translated from ancient Greek as “changing color”, and from Latin as “bewitching sight”) is one of the natural gems that amazes with the variety of their colors. There are over 140 types of these stones in the world.

One of the many legends associated with this stone says that, having defeated the Titans, the thunderer Zeus wept with happiness. The tears that fell to the ground turned into minerals of extraordinary beauty.

Opals truly are the most beautiful stones on our planet. Attitudes towards them, formed under the influence of legends and superstitions, have always been ambiguous and have changed over the centuries.

The ancestral aristocracy of the ancient ancient states (Greece and Rome) attributed the properties of powerful amulets to jewelry with opals and valued them not only for their beauty, but also for their ability to protect their owner from any misfortunes.

During the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who wore a crown decorated with a delightful opal and claimed that this stone could make its owner invisible in a dangerous moment, thieves, robbers and horse thieves made the mineral their amulet. They believed that by wearing a ring with an opal and becoming invisible, they could evade pursuit.

During the Middle Ages - under the influence of Scandinavian myths, which claimed that opal was created by the blacksmith god Volund from the eyes of small children - the stone began to be called the “eye of evil”, attracting all kinds of misfortunes. During this period, only witches and sorcerers used opals to perform magical rituals.

Nowadays, gems are widely used for making jewelry and inexpensive costume jewelry.

Description and meaning of the stone

Opal is an amorphous silica consisting of silicon oxide and a large (13 to 30%) amount of water. In this sense, the mineral is not so much a stone as a kind of gel, subject to drying out, cracking and tarnishing.

Factors that worsen the structure of this mineral include:

• sudden temperature changes;
• strong blows;
• exposure to fats and alkalis;
• significant compression;
• increased air dryness.

Opals that have a specific life cycle (aged opals are called ) are subject to aging, which can be slowed down by wearing jewelry with it as often as possible or storing it in an airtight plastic bag on a piece of moistened cotton wool.

Opal is considered a stone of inspiration, releasing internal energy, capable of enhancing imagination and creative inclinations, and also strengthening memory.

Thanks to the high content of water, which connects with the emotional world of its owner, this mineral purifies his feelings and emotions, strengthens his most cherished desires.

Colors and types

Noble opals

Opals can be:

1. Precious (noble). These are incredibly beautiful stones, endowed with transparency and opalescence, expressed by rainbow tints of color.
2. Semi-precious (ordinary). Minerals of this group, which are opaque or translucent, have a dull color and lack rainbow tints.

Translucent opals

Depending on the properties (represented by the presence of impurities, transparency, color, hardness and luster), a huge number of varieties of this mineral are distinguished.

“Impure” opals (formed from the silica of easily weathered silicate rocks, by penetrating into their mass or as a result of filling cracks and voids that have arisen in them), are represented by:

1. Semi-opals are cloudy stones that have a greasy sheen and are colored brown, white, red, gray and yellow.
2. Opal jasper is a brown or red mineral.

The group of noble minerals includes:

Fire opals

Transparent or translucent stones of fiery red or deep red color. In Mexico, stones with opalescence are found.

Black opals

The most expensive gemstones are dark blue, black, dark purple with bright red opalescence.

Harlequins

Precious stones bearing the name of one of the characters in the Italian comedy of masks, whose costume was made of colored scraps. The surface of these transparent stones amazes with the beauty of a spectacular polychrome pattern consisting of red, blue, yellow and green circles and triangles shimmering against a fiery background.

Royal opals

Precious stones, the core of which is bronze or dark red in color, and the border around their edge is bright green. The outer zone of this border is unpainted.

Heavenly opals (girasoli)

Almost colorless transparent minerals with a bluish wavy opalescence.

Lechos opals

Stones of amazing beauty, painted in sea green color, mesmerizing with the depth of carmine and green tints.

Cat's eye opals

Extremely rare and expensive stones of honey or yellow color, having a stripe located in the very center and giving them a certain resemblance to the eyes of these animals.

The group of common minerals includes:

Hyalites

Watery-transparent colorless minerals, resembling glass, forming cluster-shaped crusts on various rocks, lichens and mosses.

Chrysopals (or prosopals)

Opaque stones colored apple green.

Moss opals

Resembling thickets of grass.

Peruvian opals

Opaque stones of blue, pink and bluish tints, mined in Peru.

Resin opals

Having a matte black color.

Pearl opals (cacholongs)

Opaque minerals of a milky white color with tints of bluish or greenish tones.

Irisopals

Slightly brownish or colorless minerals with a single-color tint, found only in Mexico.

Wax opals

Stones that have a light yellowish-brown tint.

Hydrophanes (water opals)

Porous stones that, when saturated with water, acquire transparency and magnificent opalescence. It is hydrophane that all aged precious opals turn into.

Wood opals

Arising as a result of the replacement of the remains of rotted wood with a mineral and preserving its texture pattern.

Boulders (from the English word “boulder” - “cobblestone”)

Minerals that are natural doublets. This is the name for cobblestones made of ferruginous rock, the surface of which is covered with an opalescent thin crust. Insertion of precious opals is not removed from the mother base, but is processed together with it.

The best examples of boulders - coroites and jowa nuts - are found only in Australia. Koroites (“landscape stones”) have a surface covered with rainbow patterns, in the outlines of which a person with a developed imagination can see unusual scenes and images. uh

Yova-nuts are oval-shaped minerals, in the center of which, as if in a shell, there are opals, whose surface resembles jelly. Boulder opals occupy an intermediate position in this classification, being valued higher than common opals, but not as highly as fine opals.

Types of opals are presented:

1. Doublets– stones consisting of two layers: a plate of natural opal and a black backing that improves the color of the mineral.
2. Triplets– stones that differ from doublets in that they contain a third layer consisting of transparent glass or quartz. It is designed to protect the mineral and give it a rounded shape.
3. Solid opals– natural stones that do not have auxiliary layers.

Origin of the stone

Opals, formed by the evaporation of water from a hydrogel into which natural silica solutions are converted, are typical products of post-volcanic processes that occur after the outpouring of volcanic lava at one of the final stages of magma solidification.

Thanks to aqueous solutions of silica emanating from solidifying magma chambers, the mineral either settles on the Earth's surface or is deposited in cracks and voids in lavas.

Accumulations of opals are often found in places where geysers (hot springs) emerge in areas of volcanic activity.

The formation of sedimentary rocks (represented by kieselguhr, opoka, tripoli), mainly consisting of opal and occurring in the coastal zones of the seas, occurs as a result of the coagulation of silica sols transported from land by river flows.

Opals, which can replace other minerals and fill cracks in rocks, are most often products of their weathering.

The mineral is often found in sedimentary rocks: flints, flints. It is found in the cement of sandstones. Ball-shaped opals can be found in chalcedony. By impregnating the remains of plants and animals, opals form fossils.

Opals can occur in the form of very fine powder or earthy masses.

Physical properties

1. Opal hardness(allowing them to leave scratches on the glass) on the Mohs scale ranges from 5.5-6.5.
2. Soft opals a white line is left on the rough surface of the porcelain plate. Fine opals have no color streak.
3. The mineral is easily soluble in alkalis.
4. Water content– 3-13% (for some stones – up to 30%).
5. Noble opals have opalescence - a rainbow play of colors.
6. Glitter of stones can be matte, waxy, pearlescent or glass.
7. Opals have luminescence: greenish, white, reddish, blue - for whites; greenish - in fiery ones; all colors of the rainbow - black.
8. The chemical composition of minerals may contain impurities, represented by oxides of potassium, iron, sodium, calcium, aluminum, magnesium.
9. The color of minerals may vary. Transparent and colorless stones are represented by milky opals or hyalites. The darker color of the stones (amber-yellow, blue, brown, deep red, bright green) is due to the presence of impurities.

To distinguish opal from the similar-looking chalcedony, chemical analysis is necessary.

Place of Birth

Opals are found on all continents, but the world leader in their production is Australia (the main deposit is in the mining town of Coober Pedy). Its share in world stone mining is at least 97%.

Precious opals are also mined in the following deposits:

• Brazil;
• Mexico;
• Honduras;
• Guatemala;
• Japan;
• Czech Republic;
• Ethiopia;
• Kazakhstan.

In Russia, a small amount of ordinary opals is mined from deposits located:

• in Altai;
• in the Chita region (in the Nerchinsky district);
• in the Orenburg region (in these areas there is the Sarinsky plateau and the Kiembaevsky asbestos quarry).
• Opals are occasionally found in Ukraine (in the Kyiv and Zhitomir regions) and in Hungary.

Magic properties

Opal, capable of supporting the talents of its owner (regardless of his profession and lifestyle), is often called the “stone of false hopes.”

Guided by some unknown principles, it pushes some of its owners to achieve forbidden pleasures, while for others, on the contrary, it restrains the desire for whims and animal passions. As a result, the former may go crazy, while the latter reach certain social heights.

It has been established that a mineral endowed with powerful atmospheric energy fully reveals the depth of its true properties only in the hands of truly gifted people. He repels everyone else, leaving them with a fleeting feeling of euphoria from the success achieved.

Protecting its owner from the machinations of enemies, the gem endows him with the gift of prophecy, but only on the condition that this gift will be aimed at the benefit of others. That is why only people with pure thoughts should wear it.

By enhancing the creative abilities of the owner, opal protects him from the influence of extraneous negative energies.

Being a stone of passion, it is capable of sharpening the mind of its owner, enhancing his analytical abilities, while simultaneously awakening his secret vices. This stone is endowed with the most powerful protective properties.

White colored gems endowed with a diametrically opposed character. They are often used by nurses or healers, as these stones strengthen the virtues of their owners, making them more patient and compassionate.

Blue and cyan opal, bringing good luck, help to concentrate your forces to achieve your goal.

Fire Gem makes men brave, courageous, self-sufficient and decisive, and women – sensual, mature and wise.

The stone ensures reciprocity in love, but it is not recommended for unmarried people to wear it, as it can alienate all admirers from them.

The magical properties of opals are so strong that jewelry with them should not be worn every day.

Medicinal properties

The gem can be worn not only as decoration, but also to provide a healing effect on the body.

Lithotherapists claim that opal:

1. Increases stress resistance.
2. Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.
3. Improves mood, regulates mental activity.
4. Improves the functioning of the central nervous system.
5. Raises muscle tone, relieves nervous tics, softens the manifestations of chronic cramps.
6. Normalizes the activity of the heart muscle, helping to restore the correct heart rhythm.
7. Improves the general condition of the eyeballs and vision by normalizing blood flow in the vessels of the eyes.
8. Promotes the digestion of food by normalizing gastric peristalsis and increasing blood flow in the collateral perigastric vessels.
9. Useful for women because it can facilitate childbirth and limit the growth of body hair.
10. Dissolves toxins, cleansing the body.
11. Eliminates pain (toothache and headache).
12. Helps improve appetite.
13. Has a beneficial effect on the kidneys.
14. Improves sleep.
15. Grants longevity.

Who is suitable according to their zodiac sign?

Representatives of the fire zodiac signs should acquire white or blue opals. These universal stones are suitable for people born under any zodiac constellation, but for Sagittarius, Leo and Aries they will help smooth out the manifestations of natural shortcomings, enhancing their best qualities, represented by courage, purposefulness and determination.

Wherein, Aries According to the horoscope, they should beware of stones that have dark shades, and Sagittarius should prefer blue opals.

For Gemini, Aquarius and Libra Both fire and white gems are suitable. White stones will give them calmness, and the shimmer of fiery specimens will add a bit of violence to their character. Aquarians may like dark blue minerals.

For Pisces and Scorpios Stones of blue-blue and red colors will be useful. Their influence will not only strengthen Pisces’ innate intuition, but will also give them peace of mind. Scorpios, who have received protection from negative influences, will be able to concentrate their energy on achieving their goal.

For Cancer There is nothing better than white opals, although this is the only zodiac sign that is allowed to wear black stones. By enlisting their support, Cancers will be able to overcome their inner experiences and fears, find harmony in personal relationships and improve their financial condition.

Taurus I should pay attention to blue gems: they will give their owners patience and tranquility.

For Virgo and Capricorn and fire opal is ideal. By saving Virgos from excessive criticality, he will make them much kinder. With its help, Capricorns will get rid of the habit of groundless worries.

Talismans and amulets

Since ancient times, opal has been considered a talisman for actively practicing magicians, psychics and gifted people.

A gold ring with a white opal, worn on the index finger of the right hand, is a talisman for people involved in medicine, since this stone gives them the ability to heal the sick, alleviating their suffering.

The talisman of magicians is considered to be a ring made of gold with black opal, thanks to which the most powerful of them gain the ability to predict the future.

During astral travel, opal can be used as a powerful amulet. An opal worn as a talisman (this could be a small keychain) should be set in silver.

Talismans made from this mineral can attract financial well-being.

Taking such a talisman with you on a long trip or on a tourist trip, you can be sure that your exhausted strength will quickly be restored.

Opal is an excellent amulet that can protect its owner from life’s adversities, witchcraft, etc.

The natural energy of opal reaches peak values ​​by October.

Jewelry, how to wear?

Precious and semi-precious stones are used in jewelry. They are used to make rings, pendants, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, keychains and earrings.

Opals - even those that are perfectly suited to their owner - should not be worn constantly. This is only permitted for practicing magicians. Jewelry with opals can be worn only occasionally, for a very short time.

An opal ring, worn throughout the day, must be put on different fingers from time to time.

There is an opinion (some astrologers insist on this) that the right to wear these stones is given only to those who inherited them.

Jewelry with a stone endowed with such strong magical properties must be worn to an important meeting, during a period of creative stagnation, before performing a magical ritual.

The best setting for opal should be made of silver, since it is this metal that helps to fully reveal its beneficial properties. To activate the esoteric properties of this stone, a gold frame is required.

The most favorable day for wearing white opal is Friday, black opal is Tuesday.

Price

The cost of opals, depending on their type, can fluctuate within very wide limits.

The most expensive are Australian black opals. Some of these stones cost $10,000 per carat.

Low quality boulders can cost between $1 and $300 per copy. This same type of top quality mineral can be valued at $2,500 for a 5 carat stone.

The cost of a doublet starts from one dollar per stone.

Care

Being minerals containing a significant amount of moisture, opals lose their beauty due to its loss, as well as when in contact with various fats and cosmetic oils, so it is necessary to ensure that products with these stones do not come into contact with cosmetics.

From prolonged exposure to the bright rays of the sun, opals lose their opalescence, acquiring a milky color. By lowering such a stone into water, it is sometimes possible to return it to its original appearance.

To clean a solid opal (it should be as gentle as possible), you can use a warm soapy solution, a piece of cloth or a soft toothbrush. The use of chemicals, bleaches and aggressive cleaning agents is unacceptable.

To protect the opal from the harmful effects of natural factors, it is necessary to wipe it from time to time with a soft cloth soaked in olive oil.

Doublets and triplets should never be completely immersed in water. It is enough to wipe them with a slightly damp cloth.

Ultrasonic cleaning of this mineral is completely unacceptable, since under the influence of intense ultrasonic vibrations, a solid stone can crack.

A stone that has scratches after prolonged wear can be restored to its original beauty by sending it for restoration. After professional polishing, the jewelry will receive a new life.

Steam treatment of the mineral is also prohibited.

How to distinguish from a fake?

To distinguish a natural stone from a fake, you need to pay attention to the nature of opalescence.

Amazing with its unusual beauty, the opal gem is one of the brightest and most beautiful of all minerals. The peculiarity of this fabulous stone is the play of light, characteristic only of it - opalescence.

Due to these features, the stone can acquire, in addition to the main shade, several additional shades. The noble black opal looks especially striking in this regard.

Properties of opal

This amazing gem consists of a small amount of water and silicon dioxide. The volume of water in the mineral can reach from 3 to 30%. The properties and quality of stones depend on the quantitative content of this component. In precious opals, the most optimal amount of water is within 10%. Increasing its content gives greater transparency to the stone. And in the complete absence of water, the gem cracks and even crumbles.

Opal can be easily split because it is a soft rock. It can also dissolve in hydrofluoric acid. And with strong humidity, the mineral swells.

Varieties of opal, groups

Based on the colors of the main color of opal, it is divided into the following types:

Black opal - with a black or dark gray base;

White opal - with a milky blue tint to a white base;

Harlequin (jelly opal) - with a colorless or watery-transparent base;

Fire opal has a honey-yellow or orange-red base.

This amazing mineral has many types, which are divided according to their quality and properties into two groups: noble and ordinary.

Origin of the stone

Simply put, opal is formed in the depths of the earth from liquid silica, which, when solidified, retains a small amount of water inside itself.

Opal is formed when the temperature of helium is greatly reduced by hundreds of degrees.

Legends

Many beautiful legends have been created in honor of the divine, enchanting opal. Here are some of them.

1. Goddess of the rainbow. Once upon a time there lived a beautiful goddess of the rainbow in India. Many men tried in vain to achieve her love. And then one day, running away from her numerous pursuers, she fell to the ground, hit and crumbled into amazingly beautiful noble opals.

2. Tears of Zeus. The ancient Greeks explained the origin of opal as follows. The king of the gods, Zeus, after the battle and victory over the titans, could not restrain himself and began to cry with joy. His tears, dripping onto the ground, turned into opals of mesmerizing beauty.

3. Australian Aboriginal legend about the origin of the stone. The Creator of the world came down from heaven to pass on his knowledge to people. Where his foot stepped, amazing stones immediately appeared, shimmering with the most varied colors of the rainbow.

4. Invisible. Constantine (Roman Emperor), in his stories about the miraculous properties of opal, once mentioned that the stone could make its owner completely invisible. After such a statement, opal became a talisman and patron of horse thieves and thieves. It was believed that by wearing a ring with an opal, a thief becomes invisible.

Noble Gems

The main distinguishing feature of all noble stones is the play of different colors either on the surface or inside the stone. The only exception here is fire opal, which is also classified as noble (the play of colors is uncharacteristic for it). However, in its beauty it is not inferior to other gems from this group.

This group of noble stones also includes the following gems: “cat’s eye” (the most famous), black, unusual cherry, royal, blue, lechos (green opal), girazole and many others.

Ordinary group

The category of ordinary opals is no less diverse and colorful. Enter here:

• prosopal (apple green);
• banded (agate and onyx);
• cloudy porous hydrophane;
• porcelain-shaped cacholong;
• yellow-brown.

These also include minerals:

• hyalite;
• opal jasper;
• a very rare pink mineral similar to moonstone.

Place of Birth

Opal can be found in many places around the world. However, only a small part of it can qualify for use in the production of jewelry.

A stunning white opal was discovered in South Australia. In general, the Australian deposit is the richest opal miner and supplier of precious stones on the world market. This country produces up to 95 percent of the total volume of such minerals.

Previously, the mines of Czechoslovakia were considered the most ancient deposit. It formerly belonged to Hungary, and therefore the opals of these places are called Hungarian.
In the 19th century, the richest deposit of these stones was discovered in the American New South Wales.

Black opal is also mined only in Australia in the famous Lightning Ridge and Minntabie deposits.

There are deposits of fire opal in Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and the USA.

There are industrial deposits of precious opals in Honduras, Mexico, and Brazil. But still, the Australian deposits are the most unique. It is in Australia that very beautiful and mesmerizing fire opal is mined. Stones of pink and blue shades are also mined here.

The most attractive gems

Among opals, there are the most common gems, most often used in the manufacture of fine jewelry.

Among the opals, “harlequin” stands out - fire (yellow opal or red). This species is distinguished by beautiful variegated flowers, emphasized by bright fiery reflections. This gem, captivating with its amazing brilliance, is also called fiery or solar.

A delightful white opal is a translucent gemstone with opalescent tones of light blue. This type of stone is the most accessible of all types of opals. The milky snow-whiteness and blueness give the stone some kind of mystery.

Opals most often used in the jewelry industry

Jewelry items are often decorated with opals that have a soft pink color (pink opal). Insanely beautiful blue opal (Australian deposits) is also used in jewelry making.

The attractive sky blue stone is highly prized. In addition, red-orange and dark blue are often used.

Black opal is not used for making all types of jewelry.

Contradictory magical properties

Among alchemists, magicians (black) and other fans of the occult, opal was a favorite stone. They called it the “Eye of Evil” and used it in the manufacture of various poisons and other similar drugs.

There was such a case (16th century) when in Spain, having gone crazy, the crown prince died. This happened after adding an opal stone to the king's crown.

Perhaps the same fiery red opal (the aforementioned) “Fire of Troy” led to Napoleon’s divorce from Josephine. After all this, the mysterious stone strangely disappeared.

And some blame the death of the Romanov royal family in Russia on the opal, which was given to Alexandra Feodorovna by Nicholas I.

Valuable properties have always been attributed to noble opal. However, this is one of the most controversial minerals in terms of magical properties. Among some peoples, it acted as a symbol of trust and tender love, attracting good thoughts and sympathy.

He also gave his owner some hope during periods of depression, calmed nerves, cured heart disease, protected him from sadness, various infectious diseases, natural disasters and more. And at the same time, he pushed many people into forbidden pleasures and unrighteous deeds.

The stone is very contradictory in its properties and meaning. Either it was reported that the owner of the opal was not afraid of any machinations of enemies, or for a long time it was believed that he should devote himself to only one goal, so as not to become just a toy in the hands of fate.

Black opal jewelry

Fine black opals are among the most beautiful. With shades of purple, burgundy, green and blue (with predominantly red opalescence) this gemstone. This is why black opal is popular. Jewelry made from it is distinguished by its nobility and sophistication.

But, unfortunately, it also has disadvantages that are characteristic of other opals: low hardness and fragility. Therefore, black gems are very rarely used in making rings because they can be easily damaged. They are also susceptible to humidity and sudden temperature changes, under the influence of which these minerals “age” over time, becoming covered with unsightly cracks.

Yet any imperfections do not affect the popularity of these attractive stones. The unusual variety of colors and the fabulous play of tints fully compensate for any shortcomings. Black opal is beautiful and popular. The price of this stone weighing from 0.7 to 2.7 carats today ranges from 100 to 200 dollars.

There are also black opals that are more expensive per carat than some diamonds.

The most famous black opal called “Fire of Troy” is a gem with a juicy red tint, given to his wife Josephine by Napoleon himself. At one time it was kept in Vienna at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and then disappeared somewhere without a trace.

The opal gemstone (see photo) is considered not only one of the most beautiful, but also the most mysterious stones. It is shrouded in many legends and associated with an incredible number of beliefs and prejudices.

How much does opal cost?

In jewelry, there is such a term as “opalescence” - a pearlescent or iridescent glow that occurs when light hits a stone. The cost of opal depends on how spectacular this stone is and what colors it shimmers. The exception is fire opal and chrysopal, the price of which depends only on their color and transparency.

Depending on the type of opal, its cost can vary from a few cents to several thousand dollars per carat:

• precious (noble): a stone is considered precious if it has a rainbow play of shades with a complete absence of colorless areas; stones with ideal characteristics are very rare and are valued at up to 5 thousand dollars per carat; gems with contrasting tints of cold fire are considered standard;
• ordinary: outwardly inconspicuous, do not have an optical effect and therefore are of no commercial interest; when mined, they end up in a dump.

Advice! Typically, to avoid loss of stone, opals are processed in a free form. However, more expensive are perfectly symmetrical specimens without chips, cracks, stains or dull areas.

Healing properties of the stone

The properties of the opal stone (see photo), the meaning of which can vary depending on the color, are amazing. Thus, it is believed that opal is able to maintain the health of its owner. This stone:

• improves mood, calms nerves, treats insomnia and protects against stress;
• able to cope with seizures;
• improves the functioning of the heart muscle, helps normalize the rhythm and reduces the heart rate;
• improves vision, cures eye diseases;
• promotes better intestinal motility, normalizes gastric contractions.

Depending on the type of opal, its medicinal properties may vary:

• the rarest black opal relieves excessive sexual tension caused by emotional problems, treats chronic bone disease, reduces the toxic effect of harmful substances and x-rays;
• fire stone opal heals the intestines, kidneys, warms up, energizes and protects from emotional shocks;
• white enhances the feeling of pleasure from food, heals the digestive organs, harmonizes desires;
• blue eliminates tension, helps soften mental trauma;
• blue-green restores liver cells, removes toxins;
• green strengthens the immune system;
• pink can enhance tissue regeneration, treat the spine and blood diseases.

Advice! Triplets and doublets are often sold in jewelry stores. A doublet is a specimen whose upper part is made of opal and the lower part of the less valuable obsidan. If glass or rock crystal is glued onto a thin piece of opal, the stone is called a triplet. If you want to purchase a solid opal, be sure to notify the seller about this.

Magic properties

This stone is considered the guardian of happiness and love, one of the strongest amulets that can protect against witchcraft, illness and blows of fate. However, opal is often called the “stone of false hopes.” After all, it is capable of ensuring success in business only if its owner is a decent and noble person. He is able to help talented individuals, developing their talent.

If there are any negative traits in a person, opal will only strengthen them, pushing them towards the basest passions and whims. Black opal is considered the most unpredictable, giving its owners the gift of foresight - it is used mainly by sorcerers and magicians.

White opal stone, on the contrary, strengthens the spiritual principle, gives a person peace and helps him live in harmony with the world around him. Gold jewelry with white opal is a talisman for healers, helping to alleviate the suffering of the afflicted. Jasper (red) stone is able to pacify pride. Fire opal will protect its owner from natural disasters.

However, this mysterious stone will only act for the benefit of the owner if he bought it with his own money. It should not be given as a gift under any circumstances - it can make the new owner hate the giver. Moreover, the more valuable and noble the stone, the more irritation this person will begin to cause. It is difficult to explain this phenomenon. Perhaps the stone becomes so attached to the recipient that it considers parting a betrayal?

Advice! To harmonize opal, it is better to wear it in silver. If you set it in gold, this will lead to increased magical properties.

However, skeptics claim that the magical properties of this stone are nothing more than fiction, and a wary attitude towards this stone arose due to the complexity of its processing. After all, jewelers and cutters were not very fond of this stone because of its fragility.

Which zodiac sign does it suit?

It is believed that each zodiac sign should have its own stone:

• the strongest blacks are suitable only for stubborn Cancers, self-confident Scorpios and noble Aquarius; it is better for other signs, especially Aries, to avoid it;
• Transparent white stones are also suitable for Cancers;
• Aquarians can also choose dark blue, white or fire opals;
• It is recommended for both intelligent Libra and Gemini to wear light or fiery stones;

• Virgos and Capricorns will also like fiery specimens;
• For Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, opal will help smooth out natural shortcomings and strengthen determination. Moreover, if you wear a ring with an opal on your index finger, this will help strengthen your relationships with loved ones. Wearing it on the middle finger promotes career advancement.

Advice! The properties of opal and its transparency depend on the percentage of water in it. However, excess liquid is also unacceptable. The most valuable are stones with 6–9 percent content. There are also opals containing up to 32% water.

How to distinguish a fake?

Very often, opal is imitated, replacing it with opalescent glass that can refract light, interspersed with special flakes to enhance the play of rays. A fake can only be accurately determined in a laboratory. However, professionals are able to conclude with a high degree of probability that the opal is artificial if:

• its iridescence is too sharp, monochromatic, without smooth transitions from one shade to another;
• there is no clear zoning of tones;
• opal does not cast small light “splashes”;
• it contains microcracks with air.

Advice! Many experts claim that if you touch a pebble with the tip of your tongue, the fake will not stick to it. Natural stone will not react to saliva in any way.

Caring for products with opal

This stone is quite fragile and has low strength, so it should only be placed in a very high-quality setting. Any detergent can be destructive to it - it can even dissolve in a highly alkaline environment. This is why it is better to remove jewelry with opal stones (photo) when taking a bath or washing dishes. It is also undesirable for makeup to come into contact with the opal. It is better to wash heavily soiled items with a soft toothbrush without soap. If necessary, it can be left in water for a while to soak.

Opal does not tolerate low humidity, so if stored in a dry room, it may darken and even crack. But, if you wear opal jewelry more often, it will absorb precious moisture from the surrounding air or directly from the skin.

Prolonged exposure to the sun or in rooms with high temperatures does not have the best effect on this stone. It must be stored in a dark place in a box with a soft bottom or wrapped in cloth.

If necessary, it can be left in water for a while to soak.

It is worth considering that, together with water, opal can absorb any coloring agents and change color. Therefore, its contact, for example, with ink, juices or even just dirty water is unacceptable.

Advice! To restore shine to a faded opal, you need to give it the opportunity to absorb moisture. To do this, you need to wash it several times or wrap it in a damp cloth for several days.

Opal(Opal) is a well-known and beloved mineral. This is silica, which contains molecularly bound water - (SiO 2 * nH 2 O).

Opal is of hydrothermal low-temperature origin. It can be found in voids, caverns and cracks of various sizes that form in volcanic rocks. Sometimes it replaces fossilized shells of ancient mollusks (opalization). Opal with a play of multi-colored flashes of light is called noble. These shimmers of light are called opalescence .

Noble opal in decoration

Regular opal, translucent, of various colors and shades, is common, and is an ornamental stone. The color can be white, yellowish, blue, greenish, orange, brown and even black. White opal with a porcelain-like structure is called . Cacholong has an admixture of chalcedony.

Noble opal, depending on the color of its base and colored highlights, has different names: hyalite, white and black opal, harlequin, fire, sparkling, solar opal, jirasol, lechos opal and others.

Opal in dry air can reduce its play of light and fade, and microcracks may appear. It may even collapse completely. Typically, if this stone is worn frequently, it will not break down as the skin and atmosphere provide sufficient moisture. At the same time, due to its porosity and fragility, this mineral is resistant to shock, exposure to alkalis and acids. Those who wear this stone constantly claim that it changes its properties (transparency, play of light) depending on the time of year, and even when the weather changes.

Nowadays, opal is a very popular stone, but in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century it was different. One of the writers in Western Europe wrote a mystical detective story in which the main character was given a hair clip made of beautiful noble opal. The stone brought her many misfortunes.

The novel became widely known, and as a result, women almost stopped buying jewelry made from this stone. Moreover, jewelry made from it could not be given as a gift. Nowadays, the book has been safely forgotten and opal is again very popular.

Jewelers use both noble and ordinary opal in their works. It is used to make round inserts into rings, earrings, and pendants. Some of the best examples of this mineral are even cut.

This stone was valued in ancient times and in the Middle Ages. Pliny wrote about this stone in his writings. Cabochons from it were inserted into royal jewelry, framed with gold and silver.

precious opal sample

Fine precious opals are mined in Australia. The deposits of Australia are unique, and it is from there that the best samples are now supplied. There are deposits of beautiful opals in Mexico, Honduras, Brazil and the USA. In Russia, this mineral is found in deposits in Kamchatka and on the Chukotka Peninsula, in the Caucasus. Interesting deposits of opal are known in Kazakhstan and the Carpathian Mountains.

Meanwhile, since 1964, there has been a technology for artificially producing noble opal; this mineral was also synthesized in the Soviet Union in the seventies. Without experience, you can purchase such an artificial stone or imitation instead of a natural one. Now artificial precious opal is produced en masse, and not only in China, but also in European enterprises. As a rule, artificial stone has a very uniform texture, sparkles and sparkles of light are the same size and located at the same distance from each other.

If you want to purchase a natural precious opal, you will need the help of a specialist or a gemological laboratory. Jewelry store salespeople may be “honestly mistaken” and you will end up purchasing an artificial stone. It is clear that if jewelry is purchased as a talisman, amulet, or for lithotherapy, no artificial beautiful mineral can replace a natural one.

This stone captivates the eye, we try to look inside it and see in it, as in a crystal ball, pictures of the past and the future. Contemplation of its mysterious depths awakens a craving for creativity and inspiration; meditation on it will reveal your extrasensory abilities and the gift of clairvoyance. In blue opal we will see the “labyrinths of the Moon”, which will help lead us to our subconscious, help us see the reasons for our failures and the right path, the reasons for certain events in life. But don’t do this often - you can return from the labyrinths of the Moon different...

Lithotherapy: Since ancient times, noble opal has been attributed medicinal properties. It was supposed to heal heart disease, improve eyesight, cure depression, give good sleep during the full moon and cure frequent fainting. It was believed that this mineral begins to fade and crack if its owner is threatened by illness. In the Middle Ages, wearing opal was supposed to protect against dangerous infectious diseases. This mineral was also supposed to relieve dizziness, tinnitus and high blood pressure.

Opal corresponds to the parietal chakra Sahasrara, the opening of which helps to come to spirituality and religion and promotes communication with the higher forces of the Universe.