I wanted to write to you a little about one of my top 5 stones, possibly top three though the order may change. I’m talking about opals! The other tops are moonstones and tourmalines but those are for another day. Though opals (and tourmalines) are October’s birthstones, why should we limit ourselves? Opals for everyone.
What I love about the opal is I find it near impossible to be having a bad day, gaze into its dancing rainbow palette, and not feel some spark of joy. I’d go as far as saying it’s a small form of therapy. Please try and report back.
What gives the opal this special ability to flash confetti at us? Well it is made up of tiny spheres of silica (same stuff glass is made of), all neatly ordered in rows with water filling the spaces between them. That’s right, opals have a water content of anywhere from 3 to 20%! The spheres diffract white light splitting it up into rainbows. Small silica spheres = blues and greens while large spheres (more rare) = reds and purples.
The opals you’ll see in my jewelry come from Mexico, Ethiopia, and Australia. Australia is the biggest producer with the most variety of colors and formations. Fun fact–there are many examples of opal fossils from there as well! Bones, wood, and shells have all been found replaced entirely by opal. (currently daydreaming about the possibility of opal teeth….hmmm).
If we’re talking energy, the opal is known to stoke the inner fire of one’s creativity, invoke passion, and bring joy and enthusiasm. But we don’t need a book to tell us that, one glance and it is easily felt! I’ve been slowly adding some videos to my website showing stones in motion, honestly it’s difficult to truly capture an opal on camera, especially in a still shot–but I’ve been loving playing with the stones in the process!
I could go on, I really could, but I’ll wrap it up here. So tell me, are you as enchanted by these magical stones as I am? If so, which colors or types are your favorites? I read that American buyers tend toward the reds and purples while Asian buyers prefer the blues and greens. I like them all, of course. I hope these stones have brought you some of the joy that they bring me!
Thanks, as always, for being here!
XO Meryl
PS One final note: how to care for your opals. These are softer stones than most, so while they make a pretty ring, they might be safer around your neck or in your ears–esp. if you’re rough with your hands. I wouldn’t toss them in a box with harder stones for this reason. Also avoid leaving them in the blazing sun for long, and if you live in a really dry climate you could store them in a baggie with a drop or two of water if you’re worried about them drying out. Ethiopian opals are the only type that can actually absorb water…so wearing them in the shower could change their appearance for a few days….I always put a note in when I’m sending off one of these.