October babies are lucky enough to have two birthstones to chose from - Opal and Tourmaline! Both of these gemstones come in almost every colour of the rainbow. Below we explain a bit more about the beautiful gemstone Opal.
The opal’s flashing play of kaleidoscopic colours is unlike any other gemstone. This stunning play of colour is caused by the diffraction of light by silica spheres. Due to this dazzling display of colours, the Romans perceived it as the most precious and powerful gem of all.
The main source of precious opals is Australia. They are often cut into irregular shapes that keep as much play-of-colour as possible. Colour, pattern and clarity are all taken into consideration when planning a finished opal. The best opals rival the most expensive diamonds, rubies and emeralds in price.
It's worth noting that opals are softer than most other gemstones and have a hardness of about 5.5 - 6 on the Mohs scale (diamond being 10). Therefore opals are best suited to pieces where wear is minimised e.g. a setting that protects the stone. These photos show a few of our lovely opal rings. Feel free to come in and browse our opal jewellery!
The opal’s flashing play of kaleidoscopic colours is unlike any other gemstone. This stunning play of colour is caused by the diffraction of light by silica spheres. Due to this dazzling display of colours, the Romans perceived it as the most precious and powerful gem of all.
The main source of precious opals is Australia. They are often cut into irregular shapes that keep as much play-of-colour as possible. Colour, pattern and clarity are all taken into consideration when planning a finished opal. The best opals rival the most expensive diamonds, rubies and emeralds in price.
It's worth noting that opals are softer than most other gemstones and have a hardness of about 5.5 - 6 on the Mohs scale (diamond being 10). Therefore opals are best suited to pieces where wear is minimised e.g. a setting that protects the stone. These photos show a few of our lovely opal rings. Feel free to come in and browse our opal jewellery!
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