Opal – Carré International

What is Opal?

Opal is the birthstone for October and gets its name from the word “opalus”, which means ‘seeing a change in colour’. The white opal consists partly of water trapped in the gemstone, which creates its unique iridescence. The pink opal doesn’t have the same reflective qualities, but in return, it has a beautiful creamy pink nuance. Read along if you’d like to know more about Opal.

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October's birthstone

Opal, alongside Tourmaline, is October’s birthstone. Carrying your birthstone is said to bring you luck. You can carry your own birthstone as a lucky amulet or carry your loved ones’ birthstone as a symbol of love. Read more about October’s other birthstone, Tourmaline, here.

Symbolism

Opal is the gemstone for creativity, freedom, self-expression, and love. Opal is thus a gemstone perfect for creative endeavours. Opal is also said to be a love stone – especially the Pink Opal, which is great for love relationships.

Wedding anniversary

Many gemstones are connected to a special anniversary. Jewellery with Opal is traditionally gifted on the 14th wedding anniversary.

Opal throughout history

The Opal was especially popular in the mid-19th century because Queen Victoria of England and her daughters had an affinity for precious jewellery with this specific gemstone. The Opal continued to grow in popularity during the art nouveau and art deco movements.

Gemology

Opal is found in many different colours. Its colour is decided by the temperatures and elements that affect the gemstone when its created underground. Opal can also have rainbow-coloured tints. This is due to water being encapsulated in tiny cavities within the gemstone. Such opals are around 20% water. The opal is mainly extracted in Australia, but can also be found in Brazil, The United States, and Mexico. When measuring a gemstone’s hardness, the Moh Hardness Scale is used. The scale varies from 1-10, where 10 is the hardest – here you would find the diamond, which is the hardest gemstone. The Opal is between 5 and 6.5 on Moh’s Hardness Scale.