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In my opinion, opal is the most
exciting and beautiful stone there is. I usually cut my own
opal, starting with a piece of rough that really doesn't look
like anything, maybe a little dot of color peeking through here
and there, and then grinding through the potch that surrounds
the stone, the colors start to emerge. Grinding with ever finer
grit until the bright flashes of color literally reach out and
grab me. It's wonderful, awesome! Reminds me some of people
- they can be very rough on the outside, but inside, often hidden,
are these wonderful sparks of color and light that God has placed
within each of us.
Fact: Opal is considered a mineraloid because
its structure is not truly crystalline. It is formed of acid
silicic, SiO2, and water, usually in porous volcanic stone.
Although there is no crystal structure, (meaning a regular arrangement
of atoms) opal does possess a structure nonetheless. Random
chains of silicon and oxygen are packed into extraordinarily
tiny spheres. These spheres in most opals are irregular in size
and inconsistent in concentration. Yet in precious opal, there
are many organized pockets of the spheres. These pockets contain
spheres of approximately equal size and have a regular concentration,
or structure, of the spheres. This has the effect of diffracting
light at various wavelengths, creating colors. Each pocket produces
a different color, with a different intensity depending on the
angle from which a viewer sees it. Thus, the beautiful flashes
of color that opal is famous for.
Most of the pecious opal used for jewelry is found in Australia.
It is also found in western United States, Mexico, and other
localities around the world.
Fancy: Opal is believed to symbolize confidence, purity
and serenity. Some believe it can be used to reach the highest
spiritual level and increase internal vision. The belief was
spread in France that opal brings bad luck, but in English speaking
countries, opal is considered to bring good luck.
Boulder Opal Finished Jewelry
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