October's Birthstone:The Opal

If you were born in October, you're fortunate to have the opal as your birthstone. The opal, with its unique ability to reflect light in all colors of the rainbow, is indeed the "precious jewel" of its translation from the Latin. It's also the gemstone chosen to honor the fourteenth wedding anniversary.

Opals are found where geothermal hot springs once were located. When the springs dried up, layers of silica and water filled up niches and cracks, and opals formed. The refractive "prism" effect in opals is caused by spheres of silica. The oldest opal still in existence was found in a Kenyan cave at around 4000 B.C.

The Aztecs mined opals in South and Central America for hundreds of years, and Australian aborigines have revered the stone as "the rainbow serpent" for thousands of years.

Today, opals are mined in every continent, and found in almost every country. The vast majority of opals -- around 95% -- are mined in Australia. The rest come mainly from Mexico or northern Brazil, and in the United States they are mined in Nevada and Idaho.

Like all gemstones, opals are said to have healing powers. These gems are thought to be beneficial in cases of depression and melancholy. The opal is said to encourage spontaneity and overcome inhibitions. Perhaps that is why those who wear the opal are also reputed to be lucky in love.

In the Middle Ages, opals were believed to be good for the wearer's vision. During the same period, they were popular with blond women, as it was supposed to help them maintain the lovely color and highlights of their hair. According to Arabic lore, the fiery stones were delivered to earth when lightning struck.

Despite its general high regard through history, however, during some moments in time various superstitions gave the opal an unlucky reputation. The same refractive quality which caused the opal on one hand to be regarded by some as good for eyesight, caused it on the other hand to be regarded by others as symbolic of the "evil eye." Some thought opals had the power to allow invisibility to its owner. At one time they were believed to be unlucky gems only to be worn by those born in October.

Opals have a rich history, having been chronicled in a book first by the ancient Greek Theophrastus (372-287 B.C.). Opals were said to have graced the crown of the Roman Emperor. When Marc Antony desired an opal to present to Cleopatra, Roman senator Nonius left Rome rather than giving up his precious stone, and was exiled for it.

Opals were a favorite stone of Queen Victoria and her collection was extensive. They gained great popularity throughout England once they were being heavily mined in Australia.

Although opals are treasured for containing many colors, they can be selected in any pattern, degree of brightness, and predominance of a specific color. Thus, there are black, white, and red opals as well as crystal or water opals and fire opals. White opals are the most commonly available, wherein we see flashes of color but the stone is mainly white.

The black opal tends to the more dramatic, with a dark body showing off the flashes of color. Water opals have basically no color but only colorful splashes appearing inside them as the stone is turned around in light. The fire opal is a translucent red and/or yellow shade that sometimes flashes with other colors. The fire opal is usually the sole opal which is faceted. Normally opals are cut rounded or freeform to show off the flashes of color.

The value of an opal is primarily dependent on the brightness of color and refractive quality to the stone.The very rarest opal would be a large black stone, which would command a high price. The second most valuable opals are usually the gems showing the most red. Green and blue coloring is not quite as rare so will not cost as much. More common are the white, water, and fire opals.

Opals are a porous, softer stone and contain a great deal of water. Thus, they actually can dry out and crack if left out in the sun. They can be scratched more easily than most stones, so should not be worn in any conditions that can cause impact to them. Opals should not be soaked in chemicals for cleaning. Instead, use merely a dampened cloth or one with a little olive oil on it.

Treat your opal with care and you will treasure this fiery stone of spontaneity for years to come!