All About Opals
Basics
Opals were first commercially discovered in 1849 in South Australia. Since then, sources have been appearing all over the globe, with Australian opals considered the finest. Several types of opals have been discovered in the past 170 years, from white, jelly, fire, and boulder to the ever-coveted black opal (actually blue in colour).
Opal is made up of hydrated silica spheres. Grids of silica spheres 0.2 microns in size create red play-of-colour flashes.
Solids, Doublets and Triplets
An opal will often be cut into thin slices before it’s made into jewellery. A triplet is made when a slice of opal is put between a black and clear slice of another material to give it more strength while still appearing as an opal. A doublet only utilizes the back black piece. Both a triplet and doublet are usually considered to be used in lower-quality opal jewellery; however, some exceptions do occur.
A solid opal uses the full stone and will not usually appear as a slice, but more of a dome. This is ideal for quality opals as it maintains more of the stone’s original fire. (Fire is the term for the various colours in an opal).
Opals and Luck
You may have heard something about opals being bad luck. This has not always been the case, however, as for thousands of years opals were actually the luckiest of gems. This all changed in 1829 when a novel called Anne of Geierstein was released. A character, the Baroness of Arnheim, wears an opal talisman with supernatural powers. According to the story, the Baroness dies when a drop of holy water falls onto the opal and drains the stone of its colour, leading to the myth about opals being bad luck. This myth about bad luck was also pushed by large diamond companies at the time as opals represented a threat to their profits.
This myth was taken so seriously that over the next 20 years, opal sales dropped 50% worldwide.
Caring for your Opal
Caring for your opal can be easy so long as you remember a few important things.
Opal is a relatively soft stone. If you’re wearing a pendant or earrings, you are fine for most occasions; however, rings and bracelets should be worn less often and with some caution. For all opal pieces, however, it is important to avoid rough activities such as sport or gardening.
When washing your hands, try to be mindful and remove any opals you may be wearing as the soap may be harmful to them (once or twice won’t be an issue).
Opals like moisture but don’t like being submerged in water, as this can cause your stone to lose its colour. Ideally, keep them close to a bathroom so the excess moisture can be utilized.
A small amount of glycerin once every 6 months can help the opal retain its moisture. Glycerin can be purchased at most drugstores for a low price. Apply with a Q-tip and remove the excess with a soft cloth.
Never use jewellery cleaners or chemicals on an opal. To clean, simply use a fingerprint removal cloth with no chemicals or anti-tarnishing agent. Opals are very porous and will absorb these additives.
Opal Fun Facts
- Opal miners are known to have what’s called opal fever and mine for days on end in the hot Australian sun.
- The town of Coober Pedy, Australia, is a massive opal mine and the residents actually live underground to escape the heat. While many homes have become popular B&Bs, there have been issues with guests occasionally digging up the kitchen in search of opals.
- Depending on the type of opal, it can consist of as much as 20% water that has formed into a silicate substance.
- Opals are found in many countries, from Canada and Ethiopia to Mexico, but Australian opals are considered the best of the best.
- The world’s largest opal is named the Olympic Australis, coming in at an astonishing 17,000 carats. It was found in 1956 in the Australian town of Coober Pedy. It was valued at $2.5M in 1997.
