Opals associated with love, passion, desire and eroticism. Opals act as an emotional stabiliser as well as it is a seductive stone that intensifies emotional states and releases inhibitions. Wearing opal not only brings passion, love and desire, but it also brings loyalty and faithfulness. The name opal was obtained from Sanskrit Upala - meaning 'precious stone', and in Greek 'Opallios', meaning 'to see a change of colour'.
Opal- Gemstone
It was believed that opals bring bad luck for so many years. We know that's not true. Do you ask why this came into being? It's due to several factors. It is actually believed that the opal brings good luck throughout most of their written history, but back in old days jewellers didn't understand how to handle and work with the stone properly, the stones would often dry out and break while being cut, polished or mounted. And, this was considered to be bad luck.
Opal is a mineral that's hydrated amorphous of silica softer and less dense than quartz and often marked iridescent play of colours. Its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but it's usually between 6 and 10%. Opal is a birthstone for October - due to opal's brilliance and vibrant colours within an opal resemble the colours to fall, and therefore, it is an appropriate birthstone for the month of October.
The most valuable opals come from Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, which has been the main producer of opals since their discovery in the 1870s. Nowadays, opals are mostly found in Australia, Mexico, the USA, South America, Britain, Canada, Brazil Czech Republic and Slovakia.
I have conducted an interview with Rui Galopim de Carvalho and found out about the features of Opal as a gemstone. Rui, FGA DGA is a Gem Education Consultant with a vast experience in course development and content creation and also an in-class and remote tutor for groups or in one-on-one sessions. As an international lecturer, Rui has travelled the world and surfed the digital ecosystem giving talks in various aspects of gemmology, gem history and jewellery. During the COVID-19 lockdown, his Home Gemmology webinars were popular entertainment and educational free events, having had the support of CIBJO - The World Jewellery Confederation. He is also an author on various aspects of gemology, especially precious corals and the history of the use of gems in history. Rui is also a consultant for the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and curator of the forthcoming exhibition of the Crown Jewels of Portugal.
Please find the interview below;
