Opal

Opal isn’t a crystal, but a hardened silica gel, made up of millions of ordered microspheres.

These microspheres diffract light and create the play-of-color — that shifting rainbow that makes it unmistakable.

It also contains water, up to 20%, which makes it both beautiful and delicate.

It forms over millions of years as silica-rich water slowly evaporates in rock cavities.

Its reputation as an “unlucky” stone is one of the most unfair in history: it began with an 1829 novel by Walter Scott in which an enchanted opal brings misfortune.

The book was so widely read that opal sales collapsed across Europe for many years.

Queen Victoria, who adored opals and gifted them to her daughters, helped “rehabilitate” the stone; actress Sarah Bernhardt loved them as well.

From white and fire opal to black opal, each stone sparkles differently with the slightest movement.

Australia produces almost all of the world’s precious opal (Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge for the rare black opal).

Associated with creativity, inspiration, and hope, opal is one of October’s birthstones.

With a hardness of 5.5–6.5 and its water content, it’s sensitive to drying, heat, and impact.

It deserves careful wear, kept away from very dry air and sudden temperature changes. This play of light is beautifully showcased in 925 silver and gold.