Opal sparkles and flashes in all the colors of the rainbow. Because it contains so many colors, ancient peoples once believed that opals possessed the powers of every other gemstone combined. Though we now know this isn’t true, opals still hold some of their mysticism thanks to their one-of-a-kind beauty. The October birthstone may come in shades of white, black, or orange. Opals are a softer gem and should be handled with extra care.
The Bedouins believed lightning is inside opal gems and that they fall from the sky during storms.
Sir Walter Scott’s “Anne of Geierstein” declared the unluckiness of the opal.
Opal contains up to 20% water trapped in its silica structure.
How the colors react to light is an important factor in value.
Clarity will be judged differently for each type of opal.
Irregular shapes are popular, because they help with the color play.
Opals are light even in larger sizes, because of their low density.
