Opals are one of the most magical and mysterious gemstones. Some cultures believed that Opals fell from thundery skies in a storm and had lightening trapped within them whilst others, maybe even your mother, believed Opals to be unlucky. No one really knows where this strange superstition came from especially because throughout most of history Opals have been known as the “magician's stone" and were thought to hold the power of all gemstones combined. There was even a superstition that, much like the tarot deck myth, it was especially unlucky to buy your own. Of course, here at Bonearrow we're not going to wait around for some one else to gift us the jewels we really want, I bought my own Black Diamond for my 40th birthday and created the ring I always wanted, no proposal needed!
Types of Opal
There are many different types of Opal, from the recognisable kaleidoscopes of colour in Australian and Ethiopian white opals, the bright burning oranges and reds of fire Opal, to the subtle candy colours of pink Opals, each one is completely unique and plays the light in its own special way. Some Pink Opals are found in Peru and Madagascar and whilst they are naturally beautiful pastel colours of pink, peach, opaque white, blue and even green, some are dyed to bring out their unique patterns.
Opal meaning
Opal is a beautiful stone of mysticism, love and happiness and is said to amplify emotions and bring optimism and positivity, lightness and spontaneity. This crystal can help you to see your full potential and amplifies your self worth and is said to stimulate your metaphysical gifts too. Pink Opal is an especially joyous stone, helping to lift even the darkest mood and bring back child-like wonder and a playful spirit. White Opal can help you trust in the universe, embrace the unknown and listen to the intuitive voice within.
Taking care of you Opal jewellery
Opals measures around a 5-6 on the Mohs scale (a 1-10 rating used to rank how soft or hard a mineral is. Diamond is the hardest at a 10) which means they are about as hard as glass, so treat your Opal as you would a piece of glass on your finger and you'll be fine! There are lots of myths surrounding how to care for Opals, you shouldn't put them in water, you should submerge them in water... but that all depends on how the Opal is made up and where it's from, so, to avoid confusion, a general rule of thumb is to treat your Opal jewellery gently. Don't use cleaning products with Opal rings on and don't spray perfume onto your Opal necklace! Avoid washing your hands with soap or using hand sanitiser when wearing Opals too as they can become discoloured when in contact with chemicals.