|
|
 |
 |
|
|
October - OpalOctober is Opal. And of all Opals, the rarest and most unusual is the black opal. Black opals are found only in Eastern Australia, on a single narrow, raised strip of land called Lightning Ridge. Its name comes from the great number of lightning strikes occurring there and is very fitting indeed. The flashes, and play of color, in a black opal make you believe that the lightning strikes on the ridge were actually captured in the gemstones.
At Perrywinkle's, you'll find an inspiring selection of black opals that are alive with vibrant flashes of red, blue and green color. Black opals are so rare, you'll probably never see one in a jewelry store other than Perrywinkle's. We'll show you beautiful, natural black opals of uncompromising quality in styles starting in the $200 range.
Put some black sparkle in your black-magic-woman's life...at Perrywinkle's.
Opal Education
Nature's entire splendor seems to be reflected in the diverse opulence of fine Opals: fire and lightning, all the colors of the rainbow and the soft shine of far seas. Australia is the classical country of origin. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts.
Numerous legends and tales surround this colorful gemstone, which can be traced back in its origins to a time long before our memory, to the ancient dreamtime of the Australian aborigines. It is reported in their legends that the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow, in order to bring the message of peace to all the humans. And at the very spot, where his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and started sparkling in all the colors of the rainbow. That was the birth of the Opals.
The group of fine Opals includes quite a number of wonderful gemstones, which share one characteristic: they shine and sparkle in a continually changing play of colors full of fantasy, which experts describe as "opalising". Depending on the kind, place of occurrence, and color of the main body, we differentiate Dark or Black Opal, White or Light Opal, Milk or Crystal Opal, Boulder Opal, Opal Matrix, Yowah Nuts from Queensland - the so-called "picture stones", and also Mexican and Fire Opal. Opal variations are practically unlimited. They all show in their own special way that unique play of colors - except for Fire Opal, which due to its transparency, however, is nevertheless, also considered a Fine Opal specimen.
Black Opal or Opal with a dark grey body shows the most brilliant play of colors imaginable. Crystal opal, which comes immediately after Black Opal in the hit list, should be more transparent with a deep play of colors. White or milky Opals show more diffuse colors and are the least expensive Opals. The occurrence-specific characteristics include, for instance, denominations such as "Black Opal from Lightning Ridge" (we are talking absolute top luxury here) or "Mexican Fire Opal".
The most important criterion for determining the price of an Opal, however, is the play of color, the colors as such and their pattern. If the color red appears when looking through the stone, all the other colors will appear also. For evaluating Opals the thickness of the Opal layer is considered, the beauty of the patterning, the cut, weight and finish. If you are interested in a very valuable specimen, get an Opal expert, such as Perrywinkle's to advise you, because it takes a real expert to know about the many criteria which determine the price.
Australia, classical Opal country
Australia is classic Opal country and today is the world's most important supplier of Fine Opals. Almost 95 per cent of all Opals come from Australian mines. The remaining five per cent are mined in Mexico, and in northern Brazil. In 1849, the first Opal blocks were accidentally found on an Australian cattle station called Tarravilla, the first Opal prospectors started in 1890 at White Cliff mining the Opal rocks. And even today the eyes of Opal lovers light up when somebody mentions places like White Cliffs, Lightning Ridge, Andamooka or Coober Peddy: for these are the legendary sites of the Australian Opal fields. The most famous one is probably Lightning Ridge, the place where mainly the coveted Black Opal is found
GEMOLOGY
The history of Australian Opal began actually millions of years ago, when parts of Australia were covered by a vast inland sea, and stone sediment was deposited along its shoreline. When the water masses flooded back, they flushed water-containing silica into the resulting cavities and niches in the sedimentary rocks, and the remains of plants and animals were deposited there. Slowly the silica stone transformed into Opal, for Opals are simply a combination of silica and water. Or, to be more precise: Opals are a gel from silica, with varying percentages of water.
Up to the first half of the 19th century, Opals were relatively rare. Then their career boomed suddenly and made them one of the most popular gemstones. In the era of Art Deco the Opals experienced their flourishing, with contemporary gemstone artists preferring them to all other stones because of their subdued charm, which in turn was excellently suited to be combined with enamel, another very popular material of those days.
Opal's color play emanates a very special attraction and fascination. But what causes this phenomenon? This question was impossible to answer for a very long time. Only when in the 1960s a team of Australian scientists analyzed Opals with an electron microscope, it was discovered that small spheres from silica gel caused interference and refraction manifestations, which are responsible for the fantastic play of colors. The spheres, which are arranged in more or less compact structures, succeed in dissecting the light on its passage through the gemstone and turning it into all the colors of the rainbow, always new and always different.
In order to best bring out the play of color in a Fine Opal, the stones are cut and polished to round or oval cabochons, or any other softly domed shape , depending on the raw material. Only the best qualities of Fire Opal, however, are suited to faceting. The Opal cutter will first of all carefully remove any impurities using a diamond cutting wheel, before working out the rough basic shape. The comes the fine cutting, the finishing with sandpaper and then the final polishing with a wet leather wheel.
Due to the differing percentage of water, Opals may easily become brittle. They always contain water - usually between 2 and 6 per cent, but sometimes even more. Thus if stored too dry or exposed to heat over a longer period of time, Opals will show fissures and the play of color will become paler. Therefore, Opal jewelry should be worn as often as possible, for then the gemstone will receive the needed humidity from the air and from the skin of its wearer.
Opals are not very hard: they only achieve 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs' scale. Therefore, they appreciate a protective setting. In earlier days Opal's sensitive surface was often oiled, but today also sealing them with colorless artificial resin has become quite popular.
HISTORY AND LORE
The name Opal is thought to be derived from Sanskrit "upala", meaning "valuable stone". This was probably the root for the Greek term "opallios", which translates as "color change". In the days of Roman antiquity, there existed a so-called "opalus", or a "stone from several elements". So the ancient Romans may already have had an inkling why the Opals show such a striking play of colors.
For ages people have been believing in the healing power of Opal. It is reported to be able to solve depressions and to help its wearer find the true and real love. Opals are believed to further enhance the positive characteristics for people born under the zodiac sign of Cancer, Black Opal is recommended to those born under Scorpio, and Boulder Opal is the lucky stone for Aries.
The fantastic color play of Opal reflects changing emotions and moods of people. Fire and water, the sparkling images of Boulder Opal, the vivid light flashes of Black Opal or the soft shine of Milk Opal - striking contrasts characterize the colorful world of this fascinating gemstone. Maybe this is the reason why it depends on our daily mood which Opal we prefer. Opals are like human emotions: you always experience them different and anew.
ORIGIN
Australia, Mexico, & Brazil
Uncut Opal
PROPERTIES
Refractive Index = 1.44 to 1.46 (This is the angle that light bends as it passes from the surface into the gemstone)
Hardness = 5.5 to 6 (Moh's Scale)
Specific Gravity =2.1 to 2.3 (The number of times heavier than water)
Crystal system= Amorphorus (No crystals)
Ultrasonic: Not safe.
Steamer: Not safe.
Heat: Not safe.
|
|
