Ancient and mysterious Opal Beads are prized for the colors that flicker and flow inside them. Common opals are also beautiful and come in many colors. These inspirational stones are found in different places around the world.
14mm diameter Dendritic Blue & White Opal Plain Hishi (Heshi or Plain Rondelle) Beads on a 16 inch strand of 35 pieces.
Owyhee Natural Blue Opal Plain Rondelles have a waxy luster, opaque transparency, very good polish, and symmetrical shape. Their color ranges from ...
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4mm approximate size for these Blue Owyhee Opal faceted rounds 16 inch 98 pieces per strand.
6mm Blue Opal plain round beads 13 inch 55 pieces color treated
Owyhee Natural Blue Opal Plain Rondelles have a waxy luster, opaque transparency, very good polish, and symmetrical shape. Their color ranges from ...
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5-6mm diameter Blue Opal plain round beads 13 inch 56 pieces Color Treated
Approx. 6mm Blue Opal plain round beads 13 inch 55 pieces Color Treated
Length 18" Strand Approx. Bead Size 3-6mm graduated diameter. Color Treated, natural Ethiopian Opal
2.5mm to 3.5mm approximate size for these White & Beige Dendritic Opal plain round beads 15 inch 123 pieces per strand.
5.5mm diameter Pink Opal plain round beads 13 inch 64 pieces Color Treated
Fire Opal, Green, Blue & Pink Peruvian Opal, Honey Opal, and Morado Purple Opal are within the strand of mixed shapes measuring in a broad size...
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6.5-7.5mm approximate measure for these Owyhee Blue Opal faceted cubes on the 8 inch strand of approximately 27 beads.
10x8-16x13mm Green Opal straight drill plain pears 18 inch 36 beads
10x9mm up to 14x11mm Owyhee Denim Blue Opal faceted nugget 8 inch 15 beads, mined in Oregon.
6.5mm up to 7mm White Opal faceted round beads 8 inches 28 pieces approximate measure.
10mm up to 10.5mm White Opal faceted round beads 8 inches 21 pieces approximate measure.
approximate 7x7-9x9mm 6.5 inch 46 pcs
Approx. Length 14 inch strand; Approx. Bead Size 9mm
7x7-9x9mm Owyhee Denim Blue Opal plain heart beads. 8 inch strands with 55 pieces.
8x6-11x7mm Owyhee Denim Blue Opal plain pear beads on 8 inch strands with 58 pieces.
13x10-21x12mm Green Opal straight drill plain pears 18 inch 26 beads
approximate 6 inch strand of 6 beads measuring from 10x9mm to 14x11mm in size
8.5mm up to 9mm White Opal faceted round beads 8 inches 23 pieces approximate measure.
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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!
