Opal was once known as the Queen of Gems because you can see the colours of all other gemstones in it. Every single opal is one of a kind with not one being the same as any other. Some may centre around the blues or the green shades whilst others focus more on the reds and yellows. Another aspect of the opal is that when it is turned and moved, the colour will shift so that the opal will always look different.
Opals have been compared to volcanoes, galaxies and fireworks. Some have given them names such as Pandora, Light of the World and Empress. In Ancient Rome, the opal symbolised love and hope. The Romans gave it the name "opalus" which meant 'precious stone'. In 75 AD, Piny, a Roman scholar was mesmerised by the opal as it encompassed the red of ruby, the green of emerald, the yellow of topaz, the blue of sapphire and the purple of amethyst.
Many different cultures have said that the opal has supernatural powers. Arabic legends say that it fell from the heavens in flashes of lightning. Ancient Greeks believed the opal guarded their owner from disease and Europeans have always thought of opal as a symbol of hope, purity and truth.
Some people think that if you wear opal and it is not your birthstone, then it is unlucky. However, that superstition comes from a book written in the 1800s called Anne of Geirstein by Sir Walter Scott and not from any actual experience. Apart from this, opal has mostly been regarded as the luckiest and most magical of all of the gemstones. Once, it was even thought to have the power to preserve the life and colour of blonde hair.
There are many different types of this gemstone with one being the white opal. As the name suggests, it has a white background colour with flashes of the colours of the rainbow. The is the most popular style of opal used in jewellery. Just like that stone, the black opal has many colours but on a black background. Australia's Lightning Ridge is known for its rare stunning black opals. The most ideal opal is one that displays broad patterns across the surface, with all of the colours of the rainbow.
Other variations of the gemstone are; the water opal which is transparent with bursts of colours and the fire opal which is a glowing stone with an orange or red colour that was often considered sacred.
Shop all opal jewellery here
