Facts About Opals

The word ‘Opal’ comes from the Latin word ‘Opalus’. Its origins also come from the same word as ‘Upala’, meaning ‘stone’.

Opals are formed in the fissures of rocks and are created when water drips down through silica. When the water evaporates, it leaves small deposits of silica behind which harden to become beautiful opals. However, it isn’t a quick process. It is thought that it takes around 5 million years to form just 1cm of opal.

They can form within almost any kind of rock but are most commonly found in limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl, and basalt.

There are three main types of opal.

• White opals, also called light opal.
  These are milky coloured opals that have a good play of colour. They are easily distinguished by their pale white or light coloured tone. White opals can display any colour of the spectrum but tend to have a less vibrant colour than other opals. White opals are mined in the South Australian opal fields of Coober Pedy, Andamooka, Mintabie and Lambina, as well as Lightning Ridge in New South Wales.
• Black opals, also called dark opals.
  These beautiful opals are dark in body tone colour with a gorgeous play of colour. Black opals are the rarest form of opals and naturally, the highest value. The darker the opal, the more valuable it is. Black opals are only found in one location in Australia.
• Boulder opals.
  These are opals which have formed inside ironstone boulders. The rocks are spherical and have veins of opal running through them. The opal forms within cracks or fissures in the rock. When good boulder opal is found, the colours can be incredible and can rival those of the best quality black opal. Boulder opal is only found in the middle of Queensland Australia.
• Fire opals.
  These brightly coloured opals get their name from their fiery beginnings. Formed in the depths of volcanoes when water meets with silica-rich lava, these gorgeous opals are created in yellows, oranges or reds.

The ancient Romans believed that opals were a symbol of hope and good fortune. The ancient Romans were big fans of opals and believed that they were a symbol of hope and good fortune.

During the Middle Ages, it was thought to bring good luck because it was believed that it possessed all the virtues of each gemstone whose colour was represented within the stone.

Even up until the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that if Russians saw an opal amongst any other goods being offered for sale, they should not buy anything else as the opal was believed to resemble the evil eye.