Discover precious jewels, 925 sterling silver opal bracelet. The Aileen’s Gemstones jewellery store offers a collection of opalescent jewellery, bracelet for women that compete with originality and light. Our jewellers have imagined models that transcend the iridescent shine of this fine stone. In rhodium coating, sometimes enhanced with zirconia, these rings are exceptional jewels that will seduce you.

HISTORY OF OPAL STONE

Its history goes back beyond that of men and extends over the whole of our planet. From Sanskrit “Upala” meaning precious stone, Latin derived the name of Opalus , Greek that of Opallios , and attributed to it the meaning  “to see a change of colour” .

Mined for 10,000 years in the Virgin Valley of North America, objects decorated with opal from Ethiopia were discovered in a cave in Kenya and dated to 4000 BC.

Legends linked to meteorological phenomena have been associated with it among different cultures: The Aborigines had baptized it “rainbow serpent”, since the creator god would have united this spectrum of colours to give birth to the stone. We find this idea in India, where the rainbow goddess would have metamorphosed into an opal in order to escape her many suitors subjugated by her beauty. Finally, the Arab culture tells that from the light of the flashes imprisoned in the rock results the opal.

In ancient Greece, it would have emerged in the eyes of the king of the gods Zeus: his tears of joy following the triumph over the Titans would have turned into opal on contact with the ground. Since then, the Greeks have attributed to it powers of clairvoyance and prophecy, a belief that can be found in the Middle Ages, when it was renamed “ophthalmios” (stone of the eye), in consideration of its virtues for the eyes. Finally, among the Romans, it was a sign of hope and purity. They would be the first to have marketed it, arousing lusts: Marc Antoine would have thus banned a senator refusing to sell him an opal intended for Cleopatra estimated today at 60,000 euros.

Among the most famous and precious in the world, there are:

1. the olympic australis opal : named after the Olympic Games held in Melbourne in the year of its discovery, it is kept raw and its 17,000 carats increase its price to 2,500,000 dollars;
2. the Andamooka opal weighs 203 carats and, offered to Queen Elizabeth II, has been set on a pendant surrounded by diamonds;
3. the fire of Troy, a 700-carat black opal estimated at 50,000 euros disappeared after the Second World War;
4. the late Queen reached 900 carats of Angledool comes from mines in Australia;
5. the aurora australis, the most valuable among black opals, weighs 180 carats and was estimated at one million Australian dollars.

ORIGIN AND COMPOSITION OF OPAL STONE

Opal is formed through the alternation of dry and wet periods. Precipitation, via the phenomenon of erosion, transports various elements in the water tables, including silica, a natural form of silicon dioxide representing more than 60% of the mass of the continental crust. Via an aqueous chemical reaction called hydrolysis, silica forms the opal, which is then rich in impurities. When a new dry spell occurs, the upper layers of chalcedony and quartz, from which the opal is extracted, form as a result of evaporation. This unpredictable and sometimes very small silica deposit requires artisanal mining. The main deposits have been identified on the Oceanian and American continents, but also in various regions of the world.

Discovered in Australia in 1849, lodged in layers of sandy clays deposited during the Cretaceous period by the sea then covering the depressions forming the Great Artesian Basin, opal saw its production begin in 1890 in this area which became New Wales. -south and Queensland. Today, 75% of opals come from the fields of Coober Pedy: discovered in the 1920s, they extend over 70 kilometres.

Considered a mineral until 2007, opal stone is made up of several elements: cristobalite, tridymite, hydrated amorphous silica, and also contains a higher or lower percentage of water depending on the variety. It cannot therefore be considered as a mineral. Often compared to quartz, the crystal structure of opal is its hallmark. Its quality is determined by the purity of its crystals, creating the iridescent reflections. The play of colour comes from a diffraction of light, the result of the random arrangement of microscopic plates of spheres of tridymite, or cristobalite. It separates the two fundamental varieties of opal:

1. the common opal shows no play of colour;
2. the noble opal, a type of quartz very transparent is considered as a gemstone and used in jewellery.

The “harlequin” opal is characterized by an extremely rare distribution of colours similar to the tile dress of the same name, but its background colour can be black, like white, or even boulder. This does not make it a variety, however.

These varieties are distinguished by the origin, the background colour or the nature of the gem:

1. alumocalcite;
2. diatomite;
3. flourite;
4. forcherite;
5. hydrophane;
6. isopyr;
7. mascareignite;
8. menilitis;
9. neslite: light and tender, it floats on water;
10. opals by deposits;
11. fire opal: its shades can vary, ranging from transparency, to orange yellow or red, and the play of colors is not always present;
12. black opal;
13. gold opal;
14. quincite.

VIRTUES AND PROPERTIES OF OPAL STONE

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL VIRTUES AND PROPERTIES OF OPAL STONE

Lithotherapy uses crystals to act on energies and chakras.
The water contained in the opal dissolves the energy barriers linked to beliefs and fears of lack, and restores the free flow of energies. It contributes to the awakening of the conscience, helps to let go and to live the present moment.

Each variety has its own vibration and sees its action targeting different aspirations:

1. the common opal, vibrating at a softer intensity than the transparencies and those of fire, presents calming and soothing effects on the emotional body: the sensitive people, or in prey to an excessive stress, will benefit in particular from it;
2. the noble opal meanwhile, has a powerful effect on the balance of energies;
3. the Opal Ethiopia is used to root chakra, heart chakra and coronal in the treatment of nervous system disorders, mental or nervous instability, and sadness. It acts as a mirror reflecting inner visions, facilitates astral travel and stimulates dreams;
4. the Opal Andean heals the emotional wounds.

Likewise, the choice of colours should not be neglected:

1. white: to face our inner life. Symbol of the purity of feelings, it is often used to create positive vibrations and balance the chakras, thus bringing joy, clarity and intuition;
2. black: to soothe our anxieties. It prevents apathy and lethargy;
3. boulder: stone of contact with higher spirits, the Indians used it in ceremonies and rights of way. It unlocks the chakras and strengthens the addition of light in the aura.

THE VIRTUES AND PROPERTIES OF OPAL STONE ON THE PHYSICAL LEVEL

The opal stone is both psychologically and physically, the two being inextricably linked. It purifies the blood and kidneys, facilitates childbirth, and alleviates PMS. Stone of sensuality with aphrodisiac effects, it develops the senses and releases inhibitions.

1. Gray opal fortifies and strengthens the heart, blood circulation, parasympathetic system and nervous system;
2. white opal promotes sleep, in addition to being beneficial for digestion and gastric disorders;
3. pink Andean opal relieves respiratory and viral ailments;
4. turquoise blue Andean opal regenerates the skin, regulates the kidneys, stimulates the production of blood cells and rebalances the hormonal system.

CHARACTERISTICS OF OPAL STONE

• ORIGIN OF THE NAME: From Sanskrit “Upala” meaning precious stone. From Latin Opalus and Greek Opallios, meaning “to see a change of colour”
• CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: HYDROUS silicon dioxide, SiO2. nH2O.
• CRYSTAL SYSTEM: Amorphous (cluster aggregates)
• HARDNESS: BETWEEN 5.5 and 6.5
• DEPOSIT (S): Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Peru, USA
• COLOR (S): Milky white with shades of Gray that can be coloured (yellow, pink, green, purple).