What Is the Meaning of Opals?

Single sparkling opal

Opal is the birthstone for October, a changeable gem that's popular for its multiple colors and high-gloss sheen. Many different kinds of opals exist, each offering different highlights and colors, making this a truly versatile gem. Historically, opals have held much significance in many different cultures.

Origin

Rock, shells and stones from the ocean floor

Nearly 95 percent of the world's fine opals come from Australia, where the gems originate. Opals were found by the country's earliest inhabitants, who told a legend that the Creator created opals after riding down to the Earth on a rainbow. The word opal is likely derived from the Sanskirt word for "valuable stone." Opals were created by animals, trunks, shellfish and other debris that were buried in the sea floor. Over time, hard casing formed over these deposits, compressing the mud to create shale. After millions of years, acidic ground water helped to dissolved the fossilized rock, creating the precious gemstones. Opals were formed during the Earth's Tertiary Period, approximately 15 to 30 million years ago.

History

Opals were prized by ancient Romans and Greeks. Pliny said that opals combined all the best characteristics of all the world's most beautiful gems. Opals were hard to find until the mid-1800s, when they came into fashion and were highly popular. During the Art Deco period, opals had another surge in popularity, as many contemporary artists began using opals and enamel in their work. Besides Australia, opals are also found in Mexico, northern Brazil and some parts of the United States. Opal blocks were discovered in Australia in 1849. In 1890, opal miners began to flood the country.

Types

Opals are available in many different types, each offering different mixtures of color. Black, white, crystal, Mexican and fire opals are among the most popular varieties but there is almost no limit to the many different opals currently available on the gemstone market. Opals that display no distinguishing color characteristics are often called "common" opals.

Composition

Scientists found it difficult to explain the unusual color phenomenon displayed by opals, multicolored tints that appear in the body of the gem itself. An Australian scientific team put opal gemstones under an electron microscope in 1960 to solve the mystery. Silica gel spheres are behind the unique color changes associated with opals. The spheres create refracted light that appears on the stones as rainbows. Opals themselves are a form a silica and very similar to quartz. The color of opals change as you twist and turn them, creating different plays of light.

Symbolism

Opals have been associated with healing for hundreds of years. Some superstitions hold that opals, when worn, will lead the wearer to true love. The stone itself is thought to represent happiness, confidence and loyalty. Opal gems are used by believers to enhance dreams, healing powers and the imagination. Throughout history, opals have been associated with luck and were believed to bring success and happiness when worn. Ancient Greeks thought opals helped enhance powers of prophecy. To ancient Romans, opals were symbols of hope and purity. Ancient Arabians believed that they could be protected against lightning by wearing opals. Even Shakespeare referenced opals in one of his plays, when one character tells another, "Thy mind is a very opal," meaning that he changes his mind as often as the opal changes colors. Today, it is fashionable for Scandinavian women to wear opal hair bands to prevent gray hair.

References

• South Austin Museum: Origin Energy Fossils Gallery
• Birthstones: October Birthstone
• International Colored Gemstone Association: Opal

Resources

• ThaiGem: Opal