Opal: birthstone for the month of October

Opal is the stone of choice for soothing the mind and maintaining a state of serenity, it is written as the “Queen of all stones”. 

Opal, a chameleon stone 

 Regarding its history, L'opal takes its name from the Latin opalus, synonymous with precious stone for the Romans, however the origin of the word comes from the Sanskrit upala. She was nicknamed Pandora, Light of the World or Empress in honor of fire opal nicknamed the Fire of Troy that Napoleon I had offered to the empress Joséphine de Beauharnais.Its history is rich, and many writers have compared it to volcanoes, galaxies or even fireworks. The Romans considered it the most precious of gems because opal has all colors, the Bedouins said that it contained lightning and fell from the sky during storms, the Greeks believed that opal offered its wearer gifts of prophecy and immunization against disease and Europeans have long considered it as a symbol of hope, purity and truth.

Bringing together the virtues of all the stones in itself, this makes it a so-called “chameleon” stone. Indeed, its name means “to see a change of colors”. This “phenomenon” stone gives the effect of a real play of colors produced by optical effects of rare color variations.

Opal exists in different forms:

• The most common is White Opal with its bright sparkles of pastel colors
• Black Opal has a blue, gray or black body with a more vivid play of color
• Boulder Opal or opal pebble is easily distinguished by its layer of sandstone rich in iron ore
• Crystal Opal is transparent with reflections of color that irrigate its interior
• Fire Opal can be yellow, orange or red – with or without a play of colors.
• So-called common Opals do not have a play of colors. Peruvian opals, for example, are a blue that is both soft and deep. 

Opal  is found in Australia, Ethiopia, Brazil and Mexico in particular. it belongs to the silica family, it is defined as hydrated amorphous silica, and contains a more or less high percentage of water depending on the variety. Its structure of the opal is its characteristic and means that it creates iridescent reflections or not. The magic of opal's play of colors made it a particularly appreciated stone during the Art Nouveau era.

Discover our selection of Art Nouveau jewelry. More recently, major houses like Dior and its creator Victoire de Castellane have also highlighted this very special gem. Find the most beautiful pieces of jewelry from the House of Dior also on 58 Facettes.