Background on the Opal

Unlike any other stone, Opal reflects all the colors from the inside out.

The internal composition of precious opal makes it diffract  light, and depending on the conditions in which it formed, it can take on a variety of colors. It can express nearly every color of the visible spectrum. Opal ranges from clear through white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black.

Some believe the term “opal” is adapted from the Greek word, opallios. This word has two meanings: one is related to “seeing” and forms the basis of the English words like “opaque”, the other is “other” as in “alias”. It is claimed that when combined it meant “to see a change in color”.