|
|
 |
Opulent Opal |
The colorful hues of the rainbow are all present in
this one gemstone -the Opal. All the colors seem to sparkle and shine together.
The unique play of colors of the
Opal is a natural phenomenon, which is fascinating as well as
intriguing.
The phenomenon as was discovered by scientists is due to the interference of
silica gel, in the small spheres, in the stone that caused refraction which
resulted in the brilliant colors of the stone. The spheres are arranged in
compact structures in the stone. When light passes thought the spheres in the
stone, it gets dissected which resulted in the reflection of the different
colors on the gemstone. This process is known as opalising.
There are numerous legends surrounding the origin of this
gemstone. One such is the legend of the creator coming to earth on a
rainbow, to spread a message of peace. As soon as his feet touched the ground,
the stones on the ground sparkled in the colors of the rainbow. This is how
opals were believed to have originated.
The origin of the
opal is Australia which is the largest producer of Opals. Significant
deposits of Opal are also found in Hungary, Turkey, parts of Africa, Indonesia,
Brazil, and Mexico
The name
Opal is believed to have been derived
from Sanskrit word "upala", meaning "valuable stone". This was probably the root
for the Greek word "opallios" which means "colour change". Opallios commonly
came to be termed as Opal.
Opal Trivia
- The most important criterion for determining the value of an Opal is the
play of color and their pattern.
- The largest black opal in the Smithsonian Museum comes from the Royal
Peacock opal mine in the Virgin Valley.
- Opals are Australia's national gemstone.
- The most famous source of fire opals is the state of Queretaro in
Mexico.
- Andamooka is the place where the largest Opal was found, with a weight
of 6, 843 kilograms
|
|
|
|
|
|