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I am Opal. I have ignited man's imagination for more than 2,000 years
with the flashes of fire that magically burn within my depths. My multicolored
flame makes me unique in the world of gemstones - giving me more variety
of color and versatility of wear than perhaps any other gemstone.
Opals symbolized hope, innocence and purity to the Greeks and Romans
and were mined in what is now Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Today's supplies
of Opal come primarily from Australia, Mexico and the United States. Most
Opals are not faceted but cut into rounded or free-form cabochons that
enhance their play of color.
Opal is found in several different colors including black Opal, whose
blue, gray or black body color enhances the play of fire; white Opal with
a lightish or white body color flashes. Boulder Opal has color flashes
intertwined with rock matrix. Different in appearence is Fire Opal, a
transparent gemstone of brillant yellow, orange or red, often cut with
facets.
Opal, along with Tourmaline, is the birthstone for October and the suggested
gift for the fourteenth anniversary.
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