Mexican hydrophane opal is known, but to our knowledge it is opaque and light pink or brown (with or without play-of-color). The structure of the play-of-color is also notewor- thy.
In the name hydrophane, "hydro" means water, and "phane" means transparent. Hydrophane is a form of opal, and only opal. Hydrohane may have a play of color- or not. Some Mexican opal is hydrophane.
Mexican fire opal is the aptly-named amorphous, water-bearing form silica (SiO2·nH2O) that holds a red to yellow body color caused by traces of iron. A true gift of time, opals find their form over hundreds of years within antiquated water routes as microscopic layers of silica spheres settle atop one another.
Ethiopian Opal is a new variety of opal discovered in Wollo province of Ethiopia. It is highly valued for its vibrant body hues, bold color flashes and patterns. These opals are superior in terms of quality but are relatively cheaper than the other popular origin varieties such as Australian Opals.
The black fire opal is the official gemstone of Nevada. Most of the precious opal is partial wood replacement. The precious opal is hosted and found within a subsurface horizon or zone of bentonite in-place which is considered a "lode" deposit.
Fire Opal is a stone of luck, abundance, creativity and passion. It enhances intuition and helps you make better decisions by letting you trust your instincts. Fire Opal brings a zest for variety and spices up your life.
Most genuine solid opals have an irregularity in this area – curved or bumpy due to their natural formation – whereas a man-made stone will be perfectly flat because the two sections are flattened so they can be glued together. Be especially wary if the opal is set in jewellery and you cannot see its back or side.
Black opal is the most rare and highly valued form of opal, and has what is called a black (or dark) body tone. Black opals come in every colour of the rainbow.
Fire opal is a translucent opal with warm body colors ranging from yellow to orange to gold. Even though it usually doesn't show any color play, sometimes a stone will show bright green flashes.
In terms of polished stone, the Virgin Rainbow, a rare crystal opal that's also owned by the South Australian Museum, is the world's most expensive opal on a per gram basis, valued at $750,000.
The word "fire" is simply referring to the red, orange, or yellow background color. Fire opal might exhibit play-of-color, but such a display is usually weak or absent. Fire opal is simply a specimen of opal with a wonderful fire-like background color. The color is what defines the stone.
Who should wear Opal gemstone? A person born with zodiac signs Taurus & Libra should wear a Opal. It's highly recommended to someone, who has Mahadasha or Antardasha of Venus (Shukra) in the horoscope. Opal is very beneficial for people suffering from infertility, sexual disorders, Libido, and impotency.
"Harlequin opal" is a name given to an opal with patches of fire in the shape of rectangles or diamonds. The specimen in the photo is a harlequin opal from the Constellation Mine in Spencer, Idaho. It is 6 millimeters by 4 millimeters in size.
Opal: Benefits of Synthetic and Manmade StonesThis includes natural gemstones such as fire opal, Mexican opal, Peruvian opal, brandy opal and more. Man-made simulated opals are manufactured in two ways.
Peruvian opal (also called blue opal) is a semi-opaque to opaque blue-green stone found in Peru, which is often cut to include the matrix in the more opaque stones. It does not display a play of color. Blue opal also comes from Oregon and Idaho in the Owyhee region, as well as from Nevada around the Virgin Valley.
Once categorized, opals are sold in price per carat, or weight. Because there are so many opal fields in Australia, there really is no singular form of opal. This means that opal costs can vary from about $10 per carat to approximately $6,000 per carat.
Top 15 Most Expensive Gemstones In The World
- Blue Diamond – $3.93 million per carat.
- Jadeite – $3 million per carat.
- Pink Diamond – $1.19 million per carat.
- Red Diamond – $1,000,000 per carat.
- Emerald – $305,000 per carat.
- Taaffeite – $35,000 per carat.
- Grandidierite – $20,000 per carat.
- Serendibite – $18,000 per carat.
Generally opals with a black or dark body tone are more valuable than those with a white, light, or crystal body tone, because a stone with a darker body tone tends to display colours more vibrantly. Black opal is the most prized opal and may realise prices over AUD $15,000 a carat.
Quality White Fire Opal Gemstones from Australia
Sometimes called crystal opal, these opals have a white background that is opaque to semi transparent and has a good to very fine play of "fire" that are predominately greens, blues and reds. The AAA Grade has the most intense play of color and are very beautiful opals.How To Care For Opals
- Clean them using warm soapy water and a soft brush.
- Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and chemical cleaners.
- Some rare types of opals, like Tintenbar Opals, should be kept in water to avoid cracking. More on this below.
- Avoid wearing Opal Jewelry in areas that have a harsh environment.
Opals with a very white body tone also tend to have very pale colour. However, good quality white opal can be incredibly beautiful, and may fetch prices up to AUD $200 per carat. There are many factors including brightness and pattern which determine the overal value of opal.
"Precious opal" is the name used for any opal that exhibits "play-of-color". Play-of-color is the familiar flash of bright colorful light that a person sees when viewing opal. Black opal, white opal, crystal opal, boulder opal, and matrix opal are all varieties of "precious opal".
The value of an opal depends on many factors. The type of opal, body tone, brilliance, pattern, colour bar thickness, the play of colour, and faults all play important roles in determining the value. Other important factors include the quality of the cut & polish, and the size of the stone.
Red is the rarest and most sought out color. In order of value, the most valuable color is red, then orange, green, blue and purple. However, Opal is usually never a single color.
