About 95% of the world Opal stones are mined in Australia where it is the national gemstone. Most of the remaining opal stone is mined in the United States, Mexico and Slovakia.
There are 4 main types of natural opal stones, namely Black Opal, Boulder Opal, White Opal and Crystal Opal. The rarest and therefore the most expensive is Black Opal. The body of the stone can range from a dark grey to an almost black and this dark coloring allows the fire of the opal to flash in an exceptional way.
Boulder Opal stones are found only in Queensland, Australia where they form in the cracks of ironstone boulders. This means they are exceptionally thin stones and are usually cut with a layer of the boulder still attached to give the stone the strength to be usable in jewelry.
The most common form of opal stone is the white opal. It formed in almost the exact same conditions as black opal but the carbon and iron oxide trace elements that give the black opal its darker color were not present. White Opal gemstones are the least expensive of all opals and are often used in rings and pendants of all types.
Crystal Opal stones are any type of opal in which the body of the stone is transparent. The colors range mainly from yellow to oranges but can be other colors. The stones transparency allows the flash of fire to show through making this gemstone not quiet as valuable as black opal but on a level with boulder opal.
It is important to note that opal stones are also being made synthetically. The fire flash tends to be stronger but more squared in synthetic opals giving the stone a somewhat snakeskin pattern across the face of the stone.
A gem cutter will always prefer to cut opal stones as a single, solid stone but opals are very fragile and this sometimes means they can not stand up to the pressure of finishing the piece. Cutters will often make doublets or triplets for the stones by layering one or two slices of thin opal and gluing it to a thin slice of a dark colored base stone. This makes for an exceptionally beautiful stone and many collectors seek out these stones in particular.
If you want to increase the power of your magical working, adding an opal stone to the work can do just that because it is a natural amplifier. In magickal workings you can charge opal stone for any type of work making it a great stone to keep around in case you happen to not have a specific stone that you need.
Known as a stone of love, opal stones bring good fortune to the one you love. But if your love is unfaithful, it is known to bring heartache to the unfaithful one. This could well be where so many of the rumors about opal being unlucky originated from
Opal is only unlucky to those that are unworthy of it due to cheating. The average person has nothing to fear from opal stones. My first ring given to me at high school graduation was an opal I have treasured for all of my life and it has never brought me bad luck.
Shamans use opal stones to connect with spirit guides and totem animals. The stones ability to speed entry into a meditative state and the way it makes visualizations more defined and realistic makes it a great stone to use during any type of meditation work or a vision quest.
Many choose to call opal stones the most powerful of healing stones available. It helps the body to align all the energy systems, clearing out blockages and restarting the natural energy flows within the body.
If you want to increase your emotional experiences of a situation, wear an opal. This makes it a great stone to wear in nature, on vacation or while journeying through guided meditations. Keep in mind however that it turns up the volume on all emotions so do not use it when having to deal with negative emotions.
Trapped within the confines of Opal stones are a wide variety of colors, including all the colors associated with the Chakras. This makes them great stones to use in opening the chakras.
Fire opals help to clear the causes of sexual dysfunction bringing back the desire to share intimate moments with a partner.
During labor and childbirth, place an opal stone on the navel of the woman to help ease her pain and to make sure the baby arrives health and safely.
If you find yourself in a rut or just not enjoying life to the fullest anymore, opal stones can help to bring back your zest and enthusiasm for life. It helps you see brighter tomorrow, find answers to questions that may be holding you back and shows you the possibilities of what life can bring.
Opal stones have a common need to humans. Both must have water to survive. It is the water within opal gemstones that cause the flashes of fire across the stone. This connection with water means that opals can help humans with any aspect under the ruling of water. This is especially true with anything dealing with the mind or emotions and includes memory, happiness, desires, loves and lifting your spirits.
Makes a great stone to use while working on any type of psychic reading. Keep one around while reading tarot cards, runes, angel cards or a pendulum to increase your ability to hone in on what you are being told. It awakens psychic perception and increases your mystical awareness.
It has been said opal stones are the stones of the gods because they bring all things God wants for you in your life. Peace, happiness, a zest for life, love, sex, health, vitality and more are the gifts God gives to us and all are aspects of the beautiful opal stone.
Main Chakra: All Chakras
Planet: Mercury
Vibrates to the number: 2
Element: Water
Astrological Sign: Cancer, Libra, Pisces and Scorpio
Opal Stones Technical Details
Chemical Composition and Name – SiO2.nH2O
Hardness – 5.5-6
Specific Gravity – 2.15 (+0.07;-0.90)
Refractive Index (R.I.) – 1.45 (+.020;-0.080)
Bi-refringence –
Optic Sign –
Optical Character – Isotropic