Opal - by Bigi Uhl

OpalsBY BIGI UHL

all of nature‘s splendour seems to be captured in the opal. lovers of jewellery know that no other gemstone contains such a rich, unparalleled diversity of colours. Opal was a favourite among kings and kaisers alike and to this day still enjoys enormous popularity.

Countless opal findings have revealed that the Mayans and Aztecs had used opal for jewellery, as well as in their rituals. Depending on the region of origin, opal was referred to as “the stone of the bird of paradise” or “the hummingbird stone”. This name was inspired by the vastly, dazzlingly colourful feathers of this tropical bird.

Pliny the Younger, the famous Roman author, once described opal as “having the soft blaze of the carbuncle, the lustrous purple of the amethyst, the magnificent sea green of the emerald, the golden gold of the topaz, the deep blue of the sapphire – all of these colours gleam simultaneously in beautiful combination with one another.”

OPALS Myth and histOry

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Numerous tales and legends surround the opal and can be traced back to times long before ours. According to ancient Greek mythology, the tears Zeus cried after winning the battle against the Titans are held captive within the opal. In India, opal is regarded as a good luck charm, and in the Orient, opal is considered the stone of unfaltering hope and fidelity. The name itself comes from Sanskrit “Upala”, meaning stone or gemstone. At a later stage, the name “Upala” was replaced by the Greek word for opal: “Opallios”.

The majority of opal originated from European mines in Hungary and the Czech Republic prior to the 18th Century. These resources were quickly depleted. As a result, opal of poorer quality infiltrated the market. These particular opals originated from groundwater areas and as such its water content was too high. These opals dried out upon exposure to air, the surfaces quickly showing fissures. This period of unpopularity was short-lived, once high-quality, stable Australian opal came onto the market, this replacing the poor quality opal, in approximately 1890.

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OPALS Myth and histOry

Opal first became popular in Europe in the 19th Century. It was believed to be a source of eternal youth. The British Queen Victoria adored opal, giving it as presents to all of her daughters, thus creating a new fashion trend. Many Art Nouveau artists use this beautiful gemstone in their works of art. Sarah Bernhardt, the famous French actress, was an opal enthusiast and never left the house without a piece of opal jewellery adorning her body.

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OPALS Myth and histOry

Elvis presley Queen Elisabeth ii andy Warhol Jenna dewan-tatum John d. rockefeller

Opal was also popular with other celebrities. Elvis Presley was a fan of opal. American artist and film-maker Andy Warhol was so inspired by this

gemstone, that it became the subject of many of his paintings. He even made the opal the subject of an entire exhibition.

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OPALS CElEBrEtiEs

OPALS CElEBrEtiEs

Victoire de Castellane PAGE 06

Opal is believed to be a source of comfort in problematic affairs

of the heart. Due to its soothing effect, it can help its owners

attain inner peace and be more in the present moment.

The properties of the opal are also known to have a stimulating

effect – activating fantasy and creativity, interest in the fine arts

and poetry, even arousing the libido! Opal is generally good for

one‘s health!

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OPALS Myth and histOry

Mother Nature, in all her glory, has seen to it that no two opals are

the same. No two opals will ever exhibit the same pattern, array or

play of colours. Each and every opal is truly one of a kind!

What makes an opal so special is “opalescence” - this is the word

used to refer to its rainbow like play of colours which change

depending on the angle of vision. What causes this phenomenon

– this “opalescence”? Using an electron microscope with a magni-

fication of 20,000x, scientists discovered that tiny spheres of

compact silica gel measuring at around 10,000 millimetres in

diameter are responsible for this fantastic play of colours.

OPALS CharaCtEristiCs

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Opal forms in just a few weeks at temperatures well below 100

degrees Celsius. Opal will always contain a certain amount

of water and as such, if it is stored in too dry a place or

exposed to heat over a longer period of time, it will start to

dry out and show fissures in the surface. Opal should really

be stored in moist cotton wool. This will delay and perhaps

even prevent the ageing process. Pressure as well as weight

and impact of any kind, together with heat, acid and alkaline

solutions as well as cosmetics will permanently damage an

opal.

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OPALS CharaCtEristiCs

The first opals were discovered in Australia over two centuries ago. Since then, Australia has been the most important supplier of

opal worldwide. Well known sites are Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs in New South Wales, Coober Pedy and Andamooka in South

Australia, Bulla Creek and Burcoo River in Queensland. Opals have also been found in Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan and in

Nevada in the United States.

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OPALS CharaCtEristiCs

Black opalThe black opal, with a base colour ranging from dark grey

to black, is one of the most sought-after opals of all –

and also one of the rarest. One of the scarcest and most

prized forms of black opal is the Harlequin Opal, an opal

in which the play of colour is arranged in a consistent

harlequin, diamond-shaped or rectangular-shaped pattern

that is very vivid.

White opalWhite opal has a light coloured body, such as white,

yellow or beige, and shows a lovely play of colours.

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OPALS CharaCtEristiCs

Fire opal The first fire opals made their way into Europe in the early

1900‘s. Fire opals are transparent to translucent opals

with warm body colours of yellow, orange, orange-yellow

or red and do not usually show any play of colour.

As a result, fire opals are not classified as precious opals,

rather they belong to a subcategory of opal. In spite of

this, they distinguish themselves by their beautiful, warm,

expressive orange, which ranges between every

imaginable shade of yellow to light red. It was the fire

opal‘s intensely magnificent colour which led both the

Indians and the Persians to believe that such a gem could

only have been created in the waters of paradise.

Fire opal is mostly faceted. The most significant fire opal

deposits in the world are in Mexico.

Opal doublets and opal tripletsAn opal doublet is a thin layer of opal with a dark backing

of rock or stone material. The opal triplet is also

man-made and consists of three pieces of material –

a thin slice of opal, a cap of clear quartz and a dark rock

or stone base. The domed cap of clear quartz acts as a

protective layer for the opal.

Boulder opal Boulder opal is truly fantastic, with its dark ironstone back-

ground and vibrant play of colour, which changes according

to the angle of vision. This particular opal is found in

boulders in Queensland, Australia and comes from a “mother

rock” or “matrix” of boulder ironstone. It is cut in such a

way that the ironstone is left in the background to give the

sometimes thin veins, sometimes extensive range of colours,

a base.

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OPALS CharaCtEristiCs

SCHMUCK EDELSTEINE

&UHL

Vordergasse 39, 8200 Schaffhausen, SchweizTelefon +41 52 624 77 44

E-Mail: [email protected] www.uhl.ch