Queen of Gems & Gem of Queens

Which stone is considered as a Queen of Gems and Gem of Queens ?

The answer is Mystifying Opal! Flickering with sparkling blue, aqua, green, red or yellow, is awesome in its eerie beauty. It is the only precious stone having the natural ability to split or diffract the light falling onto it. This stone is therefore regarded as Opal: Queen of Gems. This makes its optical properties unique. People sometimes do not realize that opal is often more precious than diamonds.

Opals are truly one-of-a-kind. Gemstone identification books will tell you that opals cannot be mistaken for any other gem. They glow and sparkle with a rainbow of colors, ethereal and enigmatic. This gemstone is famous for its kaleidoscopic interplay of colors.

Opal’s beauty is uniquely incomparable and phenomenal, so much that 1st Century AD Roman historian Pliny said- ” For in them you shall see the living fire of the ruby, the glorious purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, the royal touch of blue and yellow of sapphire, all glittering together in an incredible mixture of light.”

What causes Opal’s magical play of colour unlike any other gemstone ?

Unlike the colours of most other gemstones, colour in opal isn’t caused by mineral inclusions. (For example, the blue of sapphire is usually caused by its iron content, and the red of ruby by the chromium it contains.).  It is caused by the silica structures sized in 0.1 nm to 0.2 nm.

Instead, the colours we see in opal are a magician’s trick using balls and light. The magician is nature, giving a mind- (and light-) bending performance on a microscopic scale. The main ingredient in opal is silica – the most abundant mineral in the Earth’s crust, and most commonly found as sand or quartz. Silica is also the main ingredient in materials such as glass, concrete and even toothpaste.

What makes opal unique ?

The shades and patterns in this rainbow gem cuddle almost every tinge of imaginable color. Every opal stone reveals a different color blush making it truly exclusive and spectacular to look at. This unique feature makes it one of the most magnificent and collectible gemstones in the world at present. Its distinctive and captivating qualities are making it the first choice of fashion enthusiasts, looking for a stunning and fascinating adjunct to their chosen outfits.

Unlike other gemstones, Opal gleams in its natural state, without human interference, and thus often it is set in jewelry as it is. It can also be polished and shaped according to the creative ability of the cutter. And the amazing thing about this stone is that it can cater to anyone’s pocket. You can buy a genuine Australian Opal from the minimal range of INR Rs. 100 per Carat. Or you can pay many thousands of dollars for a collector’s piece such as “Butterfly” or the “Red Robin” but the cheaper ones also can give a comparable gleam and spectacular look. Because opals are all different, you can match the stone’s pattern and color to your favorite outfit.