Fun Facts about Opal: October's Birthstone
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October’s birthstone is opal, a gemstone unlike any other. Here are some fun facts about opals!
- Opal is October’s birthstone, as well as the gemstone for the 14th anniversary.
- Opal ranks as a 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
- Opal originates in the ground as the result of seasonal rain. In certain regions with dry ground (such as Australia’s outback), rain soaked deep into the ancient rock underneath the ground. This rainwater carried dissolved silica with it. When the water dried up, these deposits of silica were left behind, forming opal.
- Opals are generally classified into two broad categories: precious and common. Precious opal displays opal’s unique rainbow color (called play-of-color), while common opal does not.
- Opal can be found in many locations throughout the world, but Australia’s fields are the most abundant sources. Some other significant sources of opal include Ethiopia, Mexico, and Brazil. Deposits have been found in many different places, as well, including the US, Central Europe, Honduras, Indonesia, Madagascar, Peru, and Turkey.
- Opals were once thought to bring their wearers good luck and have been credited with numerous supernatural origins and powers.
- To ancient Romans, opals were a symbol of hope and love. They gave it the name opalus, which means “precious stone.”
- Throughout history, many cultures have attributed special powers to opals. For example, ancient Greeks thought opals could guard people against disease and grant them the gift of prophecy.
- Opals gained a reputation for being unlucky from Sir Walter Scott's 1829 book, Anne of Geierstein.
- Opal’s colors have a wide spectrum. There are black opals, white opals, and fire opals. White opals are the most common. With most other quality factors being equal, black opals will usually demand a higher price than white opals.
- Fire opals are often yellow, red, or orange and are generally somewhere between transparent and translucent. You may hear these called “Mexican opals” or “Mexican fire opals.”
- The most expensive opal (per gram) in the world is known as “Virgin Rainbow” and is valued at $750,000!
Shop our collection of opal jewelry here.
