Opal Beads (23)

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Play of Fire

The thing that differentiates precious opals from common opals is the play of fire. This is an effect seen in precious opals that looks like colors dancing under the surface of the stone. Opals are made of silica and up to 20% water, with an internal structure made up of silica “bubbles” pushed together. When light enters the stone, it is reflected off of the bubbles, creating a fantastic light show. Common opals do not show the play of fire, but they come in many beautiful colors, such as orange, gold, green, blue, pink, white and tan. Some opal beads also have dark inclusions that create tree-shaped designs in the cut and polished stones.

Opal Areas

Australia produces over 90% of the precious opals in the world. Mines near the town of Coober Pedy in southern Australia are the biggest producers. Other types of opals come from different parts of the world. Welo opals were found in Ethiopia about ten years ago and these are of as high quality or higher than Australian opals. Fire opals feature a bright orange color reminiscent of flames and are usually found in Mexico. Honey opals are another variety that come from Mexico and the American southwest. Peruvian opals are found in the Andes Mountains and come in shades of pink, blue and green.

What’s in a Name

There is some debate over the origin of the word “opal.”  Some say that It comes from the Roman word opalus, the name of a part of a yearly fertility festival. Others say it comes from the Greek word opallios, which means both “to see,” and “to change or alter.” However, most scholars believe that the stone got its name from Sanskrit (upala). Many ancient opals came from India, so this is probably true.

Fallen Reputation

For centuries people believed that opal jewelry was very lucky. They thought that the stones possessed the attributes of all the gems whose colors flashed inside the opal. The opal’s reputation began to slide in the nineteenth century when it became connected with bad luck. Opal is the recognized birthstone for people who were born in October, but unlike the other birthstones, some people consider it bad luck to wear opals if they are not born in October. No such superstition is attached to the practice of giving opal beads as gifts for the fourteenth wedding anniversary.

Stone of Inspiration

Opal is a stone of inspiration and creativity. Wearing opal jewelry is said to help a person think more clearly and remember things better. Opals have a high water content and water is tied to emotion, so opal beads can help with emotional transitions. In traditional crystal healing, opal is used to treat headaches, eye problems, Parkinson's disease and problems of the vascular and immune systems.

Guaranteed Value

the Bead Traders is your site for opal beads and more. With our Three-Part Value Pledge, we promise to sell you the best quality beads at the best price we can find. We buy our gemstones in bulk and this lets us keep prices low for these top quality beads. All of our merchandise is quality inspected and we never substitute lower quality items for higher if we are out of what you ordered. Explore your creativity with some colorful opals from the Bead Traders!