Opal

Opal is probably one of the most charming and beautiful gemstones used in jewelcrafting. Opal's hardness is astimated to be 5 – 6 on the Moh's scale.

Ancient Romans used to say this stone is "as beautiful as love"

Opal is incredibly rich in varieties. The noble opals are remarkable with their iridescent play of light (opalescence). The most expensive of them is the Black Opal, which is determined by its rarity and intense play of colours. Fiery Opal is an exception to the rule. The opalescence is usually not observed in this type of opal, however it is highly valued for its transparency. In general, to distinguish the noble opal is very simple: if at a distance of 60-90 cm you clearly see the opalecscence, the gemstone is noble.  

Opals are mined in North and South America, Indonesia, Turkey and Central Europe. However a leader in the opal mining Australia, which supplies up to 95% of opals to the jewellery market. Unique deposits were found quite by accident - haunters were tracking a wounded kangaroo.

Opals must be treated carefully, as their hardness is relatively low, otherwise the stone get cracked and chipped. Opals do not like to be kept in dry places. So, to prolong opal's life do not forget to wear it, and it will take all the necessary moisture from air and body. Try to protect opals from dirty or coloured water, as many of them are capable of absorbing liquid that spoil their appearance.