Published on : 02 September 20218 min reading time

Opals are one-of-a-kind in every way. Their crystal form is unlike anything else in science, consisting of thousands of tiny spheres packed tightly together in an amorphous mass. Their hues and finishes are so unique that we had to coin new terms and phrases to describe them – opalescent, shimmering, ivory coloured, and so on.

This rare gemstones not only contains every hue of the spectrum, but it can also comprise up to 30% freshwater! They can be clear, refractive, or transparent, all colours in one gem, or a unique brilliant colour, greenish, pink, and bright yellow on a plain backdrop, or orange, indigo, and violet on a dark background – the possibilities are limitless. Carved Opals were discovered in a cave in many countries worldwide and have been traced back to 5000BC. Tales and myths about these miraculous gemstones can be discovered in every ancient society from eastwards and down to prehistoric Sydney.

The stone’s history

Its history predates Man and stretches throughout our globe. Its name derives from the Sanskrit’ Pala,’ which means valuable stone, the Latin’ Opals,’ and the Greek’ Polios,’ which means ‘of changeable color.’

Objects adorned with Haile opals were found in a cave in Africa and dated to 5,000 BC after being exploited for 15,000 years in the Mississippi Valley of North America.
Various civilizations ascribed environmental events: the Aboriginal dubbed it the “serpent of the spectrum,” since the god creator was said to have combined the colour spectrum to make this stone. This idea originated in India, where the multicoloured goddess became an opal to avoid the numerous admirers fascinated by her attractiveness. According to Arab mythology, opals was formed by bolts of lightning entrapped in rock.

It was created in ancient Greece via the eyes of Poseidon, Emperor of the Gods: his tears of pleasure after defeating the Giants transformed into opals when they came into touch with the ground. Since then, Greeks had ascribed it with foresight and prophetic powers; a concept revived in the Medieval Era when it was dubbed ‘ophthalmic (eye stone), in allusion to its visionary properties.

The stone origin and composition

Opal stone is created by consecutive wet and dry seasons. Precipitation transfers numerous materials into underground water via the sedimentation phenomena, including silicate, the natural stones form of silicon carbide that contributes to more than 70% of the bulk of the earth’s crust. Silicate creates opals, which is abundant in contaminants, through an aqueous chemical process known as hydrolysis. When a new dry period starts, evaporation causes the top layers of chalcedony and quartzite to develop from which stone are mined. This fluctuating and, at times, insignificant silicate deposit necessitates cautious hand mining. Primary deposits have been discovered on the Atlantic and European continents and in other regions of the globe.
It was found in 1855 in Queensland, trapped in masses of sandy clay produced by the ocean during the Mesozoic era during the formation of the Vast Springwater Basin. In 1898, opals production started in the territory that would become Novel South Sydney and Brisbane. Today, 80 per cent of opals originate from the Coober Coal regions, which were found in the 1930s and stretch 75 kilometres.
The stone, regarded as a mineral until 2008, comprises various components, including crystals, magnetite, saturated amorphous silicate, and varying amounts of water. As a result, it cannot be classified as a mineral. The crystalline structure distinguishes it from silicon. The clarity of its crystals, which create kaleidoscopic reflections, determines its attractiveness.

The colour play is caused by light scattering caused by a random arrangement of tiny plates of exogenous constructs spheres or graphite. This characteristic separates the two main opals varieties:

Noble Opals, a reasonably clear form of quartzite, is regarded as a semi-precious stone and is used in jewellery; regular Opal does not have a colour play.
‘Lilac’ Opals are distinguished by an exceedingly uncommon colour distribution resembling the tile of the same name; however, its backdrop colour might be grey, pale, or grey.

Opal’s Physical Characteristics

Opals are mineraloids, which is a crystalline form of silicate. When refined, it is colourless. Opals come in a broad spectrum of hues, comprising whitish, pink, scarlet, purple, greenish, dark, and indigo. The lustre of raw stones and minerals are slippery and drab, but it polishes to a vivid sheen. Opals are opaque or transparent and have a hardness rating of 7 to 8 on the Moment magnitude scale.

Opal stone’s healing powers

The following are some of the lithotherapy power;
Psychological benefits of stone
Crystals are used in illness lithotherapy to work with energy and chakras. The moisture content of Opals dissolves energy blockages caused by beliefs and anxieties of loss, reinstating energy flow. It aids in awakening awareness, helping you to let go and live in the current moment. Each type has its unique vibration and impacts that may be used for a variety of functions:

Common types of opal have a gentler vibration than translucent and fire-like types and provide relaxing and soothing impacts on the inner mind: People who are sensitive or under a lot of stress will gain the most.
Noble Opals, on the other side, has a tremendous ability to balance energy.
Europe types of opal treat nervous system problems, mental and neurological imbalance, and sadness in the root, cardiovascular system, and crown chakras. Peruvian types of opal heal emotional scars by acting as a window, reflecting inner images, promoting astral travel, and inspiring dreams.
Furthermore, the colour scheme should not be ignored:
Grey: to help us deal with our inner lives. It is frequently used for good vibrations and to regulate the chakras, providing pleasure, creativity, and intelligence; dark: to ease our anxieties. It keeps apathy and lethargy at bay.
Indians utilized boulders in festivals and rites of passage because they had links to higher spirits. It clears the chakras and cleanses the aura.

Opal’s Physical Advantages

Because of their supposed efficiency in healing the eyes, opals were termed “Sight opals” in medieval times. Wearing or maintaining opals suggested you were immune to all eye illnesses, and a soothing cornea wash of opals elixir was said to help with painful eyes.
Physical lithotherapy
The Opal stone is thought to be flushed with health in physical recovery. This gem can assist cure ailments, decrease inflammation, and improve the immune system. If you feel a tightness in your chest or lungs, Opals can assist in relieving the pressure and restoring the lightness of your respiration. Those suffering from a long-term sickness or chronic disease may find the stone a reliable companion in their road back to total health.

The Opal Stone can also improve hepatic function and alleviate the discomfort linked with delivery. It is an amazing elixir for brightening the eyes, regenerating keratinocytes for dewy youth, and improving the health of the nails and hair. Opals can also be used to cleanse the system if you have a problem with fluid retention.

Opal’s Emotional and Spiritual Benefits

A considerable variety of opals gemstones is available, from rare dark opals to more common pick opals. Still, all show an excellent play of colour in an endless number of colours. Except for opals with similar colours – for example, flame and pale opals and colour change opals, which vary from one hue to another as you travel from outside to inside.

Opals are supposed to stimulate creativity, originality, improvisation, and self-expression in natural stones. They can assist you in releasing constraining inhibitions, allowing you to express your wild and courageous side. It is a fiery stone associated with love, ambition, and sensuality. Opals with a specific dominant hue can have a powerful impact on specific moods.

Emotional and Mental Healing
Opals, a wise and helpful stone, strives to provide total balance and harmony to your existence. This gem has profound interior energy that urges you not to be afraid of yourself but to have the power and bravery to delve deep inside. Opals are also about magnification, which means it takes a smidgeon of a concept or sensation and shines a spotlight on it, allowing you to see it ultimately. It magnifies these sensations, sending signals to the cosmos and assisting you in clearing away the debris that may have been overshadowing your vision and heart. Opals ask you to let go of past hurts, routines, and relationships that no longer benefit you. However, it also encourages you to carry those experiences with you without attachment to the suffering.
Opals are recognized as a stone of hope and pure good transformation. It will not take you down any pathways that will set you back but instead will assist you in working through the emotional problems so that you may balance your moods and find your full potential waiting for you on the other side. This is highly essential in life because it allows you to comprehend how you act and make amends if required. This maturity is genuine magic, and it truly heals connections while without rejecting your sentiments.

Summary

Opals heighten cosmic awareness and generate psychic and mystical experiences. It promotes uniqueness and inventiveness. Aids in accessing and expressing one’s authentic self through assisting in releasing anger and the assertion of self-worth improves one’s will to live and helps treat illnesses and fevers. Therefore, opals have numerous healing powers, as illustrated above.