Photographed by Chip Clark, copyright http://www.nmnh.si.edu/
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Born in fire...of fire in ancient volcanoes...Fire Opal forms when water and steam fills seams and openings in silica-rich lava....Under heat and pressure, the silica forms a solid gel, trapping the remaining water within its structure.
Born in fire...of fire in ancient volcanoes...Fire Opal forms when water and steam fills seams and openings in silica-rich lava....Under heat and pressure, the silica forms a solid gel, trapping the remaining water within its structure.
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Small pebbles of fire opal are found embedded in lava flows. Fire opal that displays play of color but is rare because volcanic opal forms so quickly that the spheres of silica rarely have time to settle into the diffraction grids that create play of color.
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Fire Opal is a softer stone, with a hardness of between 6 and 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and requires a protective setting.
Fire Opal is a softer stone, with a hardness of between 6 and 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and requires a protective setting.
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Not all fire opals are created equal; there are common fire opals, which, depending on quality, are either faceted or cut into cabochons, and the fire opals that feature the chaotic display of color, in addition to their strong bright gold to cherry red.
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The Mayas and Aztecs loved this gemstone and liked to use it in mosaics and for ritualistic purposes. They called it quetzalitzlipyollitli, the 'stone of the bird of paradise'. Yet one day, the gemstone knowledge of Mexico's natives, which had been handed down from generation to generation, somehow sank into oblivion for a long time ...until, in or around the year 1835, the fiery treasures hidden in the Mexican highlands were remembered, and work was gradually begun on the systematic mining of the places where they had been found. Today, the fire opal is regarded as the national gemstone of that country.
The Mayas and Aztecs loved this gemstone and liked to use it in mosaics and for ritualistic purposes. They called it quetzalitzlipyollitli, the 'stone of the bird of paradise'. Yet one day, the gemstone knowledge of Mexico's natives, which had been handed down from generation to generation, somehow sank into oblivion for a long time ...until, in or around the year 1835, the fiery treasures hidden in the Mexican highlands were remembered, and work was gradually begun on the systematic mining of the places where they had been found. Today, the fire opal is regarded as the national gemstone of that country.
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It is in Mexico that the most significant fire opal deposits in the world lie. Rock strata containing opals run through the Mexican highlands, with their many extinct volcanoes. With Brazil it is a different matter. Several years ago, in an agate mine near Campos Borges in the South Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul, fire opals colored yellow to orange were discovered. Some of them are as big as a man's fist, which opens up completely new possibilities in the way they can be worked.
It is in Mexico that the most significant fire opal deposits in the world lie. Rock strata containing opals run through the Mexican highlands, with their many extinct volcanoes. With Brazil it is a different matter. Several years ago, in an agate mine near Campos Borges in the South Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul, fire opals colored yellow to orange were discovered. Some of them are as big as a man's fist, which opens up completely new possibilities in the way they can be worked.
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Today, these Brazilian fire opals are setting new trends in the fascinating world of gemstones.
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Even those who prefer not to subscribe to the energies in gemstones and the forces which emanate from them will undoubtedly get a feeling of warmth and well-being when they look at a fire opal. Ancients felt that fire opals would bestow courage, stamina, will-power and energy on the wearer. Thanks to their force they disperse old, long outdated ways of thinking and make room for new ones. The warm, fiery orange-red has a positive effect on the psyche and conveys a profound sensation of warmth, peace and harmony. The fire opal is the lucky stone of those born under the sign Aries.
Even those who prefer not to subscribe to the energies in gemstones and the forces which emanate from them will undoubtedly get a feeling of warmth and well-being when they look at a fire opal. Ancients felt that fire opals would bestow courage, stamina, will-power and energy on the wearer. Thanks to their force they disperse old, long outdated ways of thinking and make room for new ones. The warm, fiery orange-red has a positive effect on the psyche and conveys a profound sensation of warmth, peace and harmony. The fire opal is the lucky stone of those born under the sign Aries.
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Give your Fire Opal the same treatment you would afford your Pearls...keep it away from extreme heat and acids, alkaline solutions and sharp objects. Extreme conditions wicks the moisture from the opal, which can make it cloudy and cracked. However, it loves to be worn a lot, since this enables it to maintain its water balance, using the moisture of the wearer's skin and that of the air.
Give your Fire Opal the same treatment you would afford your Pearls...keep it away from extreme heat and acids, alkaline solutions and sharp objects. Extreme conditions wicks the moisture from the opal, which can make it cloudy and cracked. However, it loves to be worn a lot, since this enables it to maintain its water balance, using the moisture of the wearer's skin and that of the air.
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That said, it should be protected against contact with cosmetics...as with pearls – the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off!
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About the Author - An avid Blogger, Robyn Hawk has a background in the Artisan Jewelry Industry and is currently a student at the Gemological Institute of America where she is working on her Graduate Gemologist Certification.
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About the Author - An avid Blogger, Robyn Hawk has a background in the Artisan Jewelry Industry and is currently a student at the Gemological Institute of America where she is working on her Graduate Gemologist Certification.
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Reference Sources:
Reference Sources:
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