This short blog post is dedicated to the magical gemstone the Opal.
Opals are unique in the way they are formed, unlike other gems they do not have a crystalline structure, they are amorphous and are formed over millions of years from tiny spheres of silica collected in water and this sandwiches together over time to become compressed and form this wonderful gemstone.
There are several varieties of Opal milky or white, crystal, black, fire and boulder.
They can be found all over the world but a great deal of Opals come from Australia, they have been used for thousands of years and the history even spans back to the Roman era.
They are the birthstone for October and are most commonly found as cabochon stones which are shaped and polished to reveal their wonderful play of colour and fire!
The Opal is quite delicate and extra care should be taken when wearing Opal jewellery, they also contain up to 20% water and do not like to be dried out as this can leave them with damage and a tendency to become brittle or discoloured.
They are thought to inspire hope, clarity and truth amongst other healing properties and well we think they are just out of this world, wait in fact they are!
One of Nasa's Mars rovers actually discovered Opal in an area on the planet called the Gale crater which was a former lake bed, proving that Opal really is a very special gem indeed!
You can find a range of beautiful antique and vintage Opal pieces on our website by clicking here!