Opal, the most beautiful of the precious gemstones, it is thought to have first
been used by the Romans. The name Opal has several origins the most likely is to
mean, "Play of colour", which describes the way the gem's brilliant fire-like
colours vary when it is tilted. Opals can contain any colour found in the rainbow,
this is because the colour releases when the light slows as it passes through
tiny spheres of silica and the voids between them, created within the stone.
There are several different types of natural opal, Light (the most common)
Dark and Black which describes the body tone, the darker the body tone the more
vivid the colour will appear. Other types of Australian opal include Crystal,
which is clear opal with play of colour and the boulder opal from Queensland which
is opal on Ironstone. These different types and different colours make every opal
totally unique.
Opal Information
Questions about opal? Send us your unanswered questions so we can help.
Opal - The Jewellers Best Kept Secret Gemstone
Opal The Ethical Gemstone Choice
Diamonds maybe forever, but exactly what is a diamond for, forever?
A symbol of wealth, astute investment and happiness? Well for many people in
the diamond producing countries they are the resource used to get money to
fund wars in Sierra Leone, DRC and Liberia, killing and making homeless millions
of innocent people. Instead of being given a hard hat and tea breaks every 3 hours
the people mining these diamonds do so at gun point with little or no reward for
what they find except that it will be used to fund more wars displacing more people.
The United Nations General Assembly working with the diamond industry has been moved
by activist groups like Global Witness and public opinion looking for justice for
these oppressed people and had set up the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)
in December 2003. However following the 2010 "Return of the Blood Diamond" report by
Global Witness and the in-action by the KPCS to address the grave concerns with the
KPCS Global Witness pulled out of the scheme in December 2011. In contrast opal
mining in Australia (where 95% of the world's precious opal is produced), claims are
small scale, owner operated or worked with small partnerships – what they find they
sell to keep them going to find the big one.
A symbol of wealth, astute investment and happiness? Well for many people in
the diamond producing countries they are the resource used to get money to
fund wars in Sierra Leone, DRC and Liberia, killing and making homeless millions
of innocent people. Instead of being given a hard hat and tea breaks every 3 hours
the people mining these diamonds do so at gun point with little or no reward for
what they find except that it will be used to fund more wars displacing more people.
The United Nations General Assembly working with the diamond industry has been moved
by activist groups like Global Witness and public opinion looking for justice for
these oppressed people and had set up the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)
in December 2003. However following the 2010 "Return of the Blood Diamond" report by
Global Witness and the in-action by the KPCS to address the grave concerns with the
KPCS Global Witness pulled out of the scheme in December 2011. In contrast opal
mining in Australia (where 95% of the world's precious opal is produced), claims are
small scale, owner operated or worked with small partnerships – what they find they
sell to keep them going to find the big one.
Opal Buying Advice
Some people prefer a smaller stone of higher quality, others like everything big.
We all have our own favourite colours and type of patterns because we all have
our own individual tastes. Some dealers - investors would advise you to get the most
expensive black opal you can afford. We have just one simple piece of advice,
which when followed will never disappoint "Don't buy any stones unless they make
you go WOW!" and you can't stop staring at them like a bright rainbow or an Aurora.
We all have our own favourite colours and type of patterns because we all have
our own individual tastes. Some dealers - investors would advise you to get the most
expensive black opal you can afford. We have just one simple piece of advice,
which when followed will never disappoint "Don't buy any stones unless they make
you go WOW!" and you can't stop staring at them like a bright rainbow or an Aurora.