The Mysteries of Opal Jewelry
Opal is the most beautiful and magical of the semi-precious stones, loved since the beginning of civilization. Its name comes from the Latin "opalus," meaning "precious jewel."
The natural semi-precious gem is red, yellowish-red or orange-yellow, and is associated with the elements Water, Fire, and Ether.
The Aztecs mined opal in Central America, and in North America, archaeological findings show that opal was mined more than 10,000 years ago.
Opal has been found on all continents but 97% of opals come from southern Australia with the first mines dating back only to 1901 and have since become the national stone.
This semi-precious gemstone was always highly appreciated by royal houses and master jewelers across the world.
For example, Queen Victoria offered her two daughters, as a wedding gift, opal jewelry. We can also remember the famous Victorian brooch, depicting a swallow in flight, made of gold and silver with opals, diamonds, and rubies, sold by Garrard (the jeweler of the royal house) in 1870.
Opal Jewelry is Extremely Precious
Opal, like diamond and other precious stones, is measured in carats. Depending on the quality of the opal, the price per carat can sometimes be similar and even higher than that of the diamond.
High-quality opal can be considered one of the five most precious stones in the world, alongside diamond, sapphire, emerald, and ruby.
There is an extremely limited supply of precious opal on the market and a rich supply of glitter plastic sold as "precious opal" when in fact it is synthetic opal and costs approximately $ 1000 / 1 Kg, also called "opalite" or artificial moonstone, with a milky white appearance, transparent and with the iridescence of different colors, generally yellow and blue.
The precious opal can be solid, double, and triplet, the former reaching prices of $ 5,000 / 1 carat and is mounted mainly in gold.
The doublet means a slice of precious opal glued to a slice of mother rock, and the triplet is the same as the doublet but also has a layer of colorless glass or white quartz glued over the precious opal.
The Spiritual Properties of Opal Jewelry
According to the different cultures and experts, many things have been said about the special spiritual and physical properties of opal - the October birthstone.
Opal is said to heal the soul, protect man from any evil influence in the atmosphere, drive away sadness, prevent heart disease, and any malignant disease.Necklaces with opal were worn to repel evil and to protect eyesight.
This magical precious gem also symbolizes faithfulness and confidence and is especially good for those who wander from one place to another not finding their stability and identity anywhere, since it is believed to promote stability. It is said that opal maintains fidelity and loyalty in the couple.
Opal is also associated with love and compassion, creativity, passion, and understanding in human relationships. It favors benevolent and friendly feelings.
It is said that opal fades in the face of an enemy and intensifies its nuances in the presence of a true friend.
There are many superstitions about opal, one of which you can find in Sir Walter Scott's early 19th-century novel, "Anne de Geierstein", or "The Maiden of the Mist" (1829). We decided to let you discover it by yourself.
Opal Jewelry is the Perfect Choice
Our opal jewelry pieces can satisfy the most refined and demanding tastes.Thanks to over 40 years of experience in the field, the "DSF Antique Jewelry" models excel not only in the special designs but also in the quality of the materials used. Many of our jewelry pieces, especially the vintage and antique ones, are hand-made by some of the most skillful goldsmiths in the world.
Reading this article you have probably realized that opal jewelry may be the perfect choice for you.
Like the leaves that fall gracefully in autumn, our opal jewelry will "fall" discreetly on the skin caressed by fine touches of gold. A play of shapes and colors, the creations bear the imprint of authentic luxury.
