OPAL is called "opal" or "opal" in Chinese, and its gemological name is opal. It is the birthstone of October and is a stone symbolizing hope and happiness. Hardness is 5.5-6.5. The moisture content of opal is not fixed. Generally, the moisture content of opal ranges from about 3% to 20%. The higher the moisture content, the more obvious the play of color will be. Opal is formed slowly under low temperature conditions and can occur in almost any rock, but is generally found in limestone, sandstone and basalt. Australia is the country with the largest output of opals, and opal is also Australia’s “national stone”. Opal's status in ancient times was second only to emerald. Chinese people loved opal very much, especially during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when they regarded it as a palace treasure. As a gemstone, opal is equally popular in Europe and Asia. In ancient Rome, this gemstone was once considered a symbol of power. It helps to exude personal charm and grace and enrich creativity.
【Image source: Robert Weldon/GIA】
【Image source: Absolute Opals & Gems Pty Ltd】
There are three main types of opal: black, crystal, and albumin. Black opal shows play of color on a dark background, crystal opal is a transparent material, and albumin appears on a white background. Presented on the game of color. If other quality factors are the same, opal black protein has the highest evaluation in the industry, not only because of its rarity, but also because the play of color can best stand out on a dark background. Other opal types seen include Mexican or fire opal.
Opal is as beautiful as God accidentally overturning the palette. The ancient Roman natural scientist Pliny once said: "On an opal stone, you can see the flame of ruby, the color spots like amethyst, and the color spots like emerald." The green sea is colorful, integrated and beautiful. "The changing and charming colors are due to the mixing of other atoms in the gemstone to form various colors, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, etc. Opal generally has a glass luster or waxy appearance. The luster, if the color and luster changes with the angle, it is a precious gemstone, otherwise it is just a decorative stone. Therefore, the most important thing when choosing opal is its play of color, which is called "Play of Color" in the industry. Generally speaking, there are three main patterns of play-of-color in opal: pinfire: small pieces or dots of play-of-color; flash: large play-of-color that disappears and reappears when the stone is moved; harlequin ): A large area of obviously angular play of color. The next step is to determine the clarity and transparency of the opal, comparing opals of the same type with each other. For crystal opal, the higher the transparency, the more valuable it is, but this is not the case for black opal.
Star fire (pinfire) [Image source: GIA]
Splash of color (flash) [Image source: Cody Opal]
Harlequin pattern (Image source: Robert Weldon/GIA)
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