OPALS

Opals are hardened silica gel usually with a water content of 5-10%. Thus they are not crystalline in structure, unlike most other gemstones hence they may lose some of their water, dry out & crack. For this reason they have long been deemed an ‘unlucky’ stone.

There are two different types of opals, precious opals & ‘potch’ or common opals.
Precious opals, the most prized of which is black opal has a distinctive play of colour.

The display by precious opals comes from a unique structure of layered silica spheres. As light passes through the stone it is diffracted from the different layers and is split into different wavelengths, creating bright flashes of colour.

White opals also show a light play of colour, in addition there is also ‘fire opal’ which in contrast shows no play of colour but is a clear bright orange gemstone quite different from other precious opals.

Opal fills cavities in sedimentary rocks or veins in igneous rocks. It forms stalagmites & stalactites & replaces organic matter in fossil wood, bone & shell.

Australia has been the main source for opals since 19th Century however they can also be sourced from Czechoslovakia, USA, Brazil & Mexico.

The cost of Opals limits us to stocking mainly Pink Opals from Peru ( cloudy sugar pink colour with no ‘play of light’ but still pretty ) at present but maybe at some point in the future we may be able to stock a wider variety & price range to meet our customers’ demands.

MORE INFORMATION & IMAGES TO FOLLOW.