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Opal: Birthstone of October

Opal: Birthstone of October

Opal is the stone of choice for calming the mind and maintaining a state of serenity, it is written as the "Queen of all stones". 

Opal, a chameleon stone 

 Regarding its history, l'opal takes its name from the Latin opalus synonymous with precious stone for the Romans, however the origin of the word comes from the Sanskrit upala. She was nicknamed Pandora, Light of the World or Empress in honor of fire opal nicknamed Trojan Fire that Napoleon I had offered to Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais. Its history is rich, and many writers have compared it to volcanoes, galaxies or even fireworks. The Romans considered it the most precious of gems because the opal has all the colors, the Bedouins said that it contained lightning and fell from the sky during thunderstorms, the Greeks believed that the opal gave its wearer gifts of prophecy and immunization against disease and Europeans have long considered it a symbol of hope, purity and truth.

Bringing together the virtues of all the stones in itself, this makes it a so-called “chameleon” stone. Indeed, its name means "to see a change of colors". This "phenomenon" stone gives the effect of a real play of colors produced by optical effects of rare color variations.

Opal exists in different forms:

  • The most common is White Opal with its vivid sparkles of pastel colors
  • Black Opal has a blue, gray or black body with a brighter play of color
  • The boulder opal or pebble opal is easily distinguished by its layer of sandstone rich in iron ore
  • Crystal Opal is transparent with color reflections that irrigate its interior
  • Fire Opal can be yellow, orange or red – with or without color scheme.
  • The so-called common Opals do not have a play of colors. The opals of Peru, for example, are a blue that is both soft and sustained. 

Opal  is found in Australia, Ethiopia, Brazil and Mexico in particular. it belongs to the silica family, it is defined as hydrated amorphous silica, and contains a higher or lower percentage of water depending on the variety. Its structure of the opal is its characteristic and makes it create the iridescent reflections or not. The magic of the opal's play of colors made it a particularly popular stone in the Art Nouveau era.

Find our selection of Art Nouveau jewelry. More recently, major houses such as Dior and its designer Victoire de Castellane have also highlighted this very special gem. Find the most beautiful pieces of jewelery from the Maison Dior also on 58 Facettes. 

 

 

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