Occurrence:
Australia, former Czechoslovakia,
U.S., Brazil, Mexico and southern Africa. Opal and tourmaline are the birthstones
of the month of October.
Appearance:
Iridescent, and opalescent
with a wide range of internal colors.
Something
Extra:
Mysterious opals contain
the wonders of the skies - sparking rainbows, fireworks, and lightning
-
shifting and moving in
their depths. Opal has been treasured throughout history around the world.
Archaeologist Louis Leakey
found six-thousand year old opal artifacts in a cave in Kenya!
Roman historian Pliny
described the beauty of opal as the combination of the beauty of all other
gems: "There is in them
a softer fire than the ruby, there is the brilliant purple of the amethyst,
and the sea green of the emerald - all shining together in incredible union.
Some by their splendor rival the colors of the painters, others the flame
of burning sulphur or of fire quickened by oil." Opal was
much loved and valued
highly by the Romans, who called it opalus.
The following
are different types of Opal:
- Cat's
Eye Opal
- Mexican
Black Opal
- Mexican
Cherry Opal
- Mexican
Fire Opal
- Mexican
Jelly Opal
- Mexican
Matrix Opal
- Opal
Doublet