Opal
The word opal is derived from the Greek Opallos meaning “to see a change” – in this case, of colour. The opal conjures images within the depths of its sparkling brilliance. The mystical prism of colors is perennially fascinating, and some believe that the mysteries of love can be transferred through this enchanting gem.
Opals range in color from milky white to black with flashes of yellow, orange, green, red and blue. An opal's beauty is the product of contrast between its color play and its background. The opal is a formation of non-crystalline silica gel. This gel seeped into crevices in the sedimentary strata. Through time and nature's heating and molding processes, the gel hardened into opal.
The opal is composed of particles closely packed in spherical arrangements. When packed together in a regular pattern, a three-dimensional array of spaces are created that give the radiance of the opal.
White opal can best be described as a translucent to semi-translucent gemstone that displays an array of colors against a pale body color. The main sources of white opal is Australia and Brazil. Black opal can be described as a translucent to opaque gemstone that displays a variety of colors against a black or other dark color. The main source of black opal is also Australia. Fire opal is transparent to translucent gemstone that displays brown, yellow, orange or red color. This gemstone does not show an array of colors within it. It is often referred to as Mexican opal, gold opal or sun opal. The main source of fire opal is Mexico.