There are four types of Opal commonly used in jewellery;
white, black, fire and water opal. White
opal has a pale body colour. Black opal
is any that has a dark body colour, such as black, blue, green or grey. Fire opal is transparent yellow, orange or
red. Water opal is clear and colourless.
All have the trademark play of colour or iridescence
which makes this gemstone instantly recognisable.
According to Aboriginal legend, the swirling
colours were created when a rainbow fell to earth.
No gemstone has had such mixed press about it
either! You’ve probably heard someone
say that its bad luck to wear an Opal unless it is your birthstone. Apparently that association only really
started in the 1800s when the story “Anne of Geierstein” was published. The main character possesses an Opal which
reflects her emotions and fate, but it seems rather than assuming it to be that
way around, many people thought it was the Opal that caused the character bad
luck.
Historically Opals were said to make the wearer invisible (that
could come in handy sometimes!) and in the east are known as a stone of hope.
The changeable stories probably just reflect the gem’s changeable
appearance; so I would say you will get out of an opal only what you decide to
see in it!
As an alternative to expensive opals, you can get some lovely
iridescent glass beads to represent this interesting month’s stone.
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