Imagine holding in your hand a kind of opal stone that has the magical power to show you all the colors of the rainbow with just one look. I am sure you will agree that the sight can be pretty overwhelming. Opal is just that. A precious stone primarily found in mining areas in Southern Australia and quite a few from Nevada all the way to Czechoslovakia among others, opal reflects a multitude of colors that gives the impression you are looking at the colors of a rainbow on close range. The first opal mines, however, were found in what is currently called Eastern Slovakia, but its well has long since run dry. But if you are looking for fire opal, these are mostly found in Mexico. White, also known as milky opal, and black ones are more abundant in the Australian Opal Ring.

1. Iridescent Opal
Imagine holding in your hand a kind of opal stone that has the magical power to
show you all the colors of the rainbow with just one look. I am sure you will
agree that the sight can be pretty overwhelming. Opal is just that. A precious
stone primarily found in mining areas in Southern Australia and quite a few
from Nevada all the way to Czechoslovakia among others, opal reflects a
multitude of colors that gives the impression you are looking at the colors of a
rainbow on close range. The first opal mines, however, were found in what is
currently called Eastern Slovakia, but its well has long since run dry. But if you
are looking for fire opal, these are mostly found in Mexico. White, also known
as milky opal, and black ones are more abundant in the Australian Opal Ring.
Opal is most popularly known as the birthstone of those born in October and is
usually given as a 14th wedding anniversary gift. Napoleon Bonaparte was said
to have given his wife Josephine "The Burning of Troy" opal as a gift.
As in other precious stones, opal symbolizes a lot of ancient beliefs, which today
may still be regarded as symbols of such by true lovers of gemstones. For
instance, Greeks believed that opal gave whoever wore it the ability of
prescience or forethought - foresight, simply put. Romans, on the other hand,
believed opal symbolized hope and purity, hence, they wore opals in their
crowns. They also believed that it warded off diseases and sicknesses. During
the Middle Ages, people wore opal because they believed it would be helpful to
their eyesight. Others even believed that once you wore it, you would be
rendered invisible! On a more serious note, some cultures in the 14th century
regarded opal as the "Eye Stone" because they believed that it watches over
them, royalties in particular. Some even thought of it as the ruler of all gems
because of its ability to absorb all colors of the rainbow. Legends in ancient
Arab believe that opals got their display of different colors from lightning
flashes from heaven, believing that opals fell from heaven. However popular it
was, opal somewhat lost its "charm" when a widely-read novel pictured opal as
an unlucky stone. But the stigma did not last, and opal won back its popularity
among the collectors' circle and possibly every gem lover.