Australian Opal Jewelry is famous for its amazing designs, colours, quality, and beauty. The ornaments are stunning and unique which attracts millions of buyers each year. The Opal has a huge range of different designs, colours, and quality with so many types and variations.
It is called the Queen of Gems because of its attractiveness and admirable appearance. Its incredible pearly white shine with the auroral exposition of vibrant colours makes it one of the most in-demand gemstones in Australia.
There are different categories of Opal stones with the 3 main styles being the Precious Opal, Common Opal, and the Fire Opal. While many countries in the world export this gemstone, the Australian Opal is the most versatile. In Australia, you will find a variety of unique, mass-production of different designs, and uniquely styled Opal gemstones. Though Opals is found in multiple countries, Australia accounts for 95% of the world’s Opal collection. This is because the geological formations in Australia have preferred the formation of the Opal stone.
In this article, we will explore types of Australian Opal jewellery, kinds of Opals, and their importance.
Why Australian Opal?
Opals are incredibly rare and valuable stones. They are extremely beautiful and affordable which makes them very popular. Australian Opal is by far the most popular and quality-oriented Gemstone.
In the past, various Kings and Queens, and famous personalities looked at Opal pendants with fascination. Their colours resembled the ‘divine’ creation.
These natural wonders were famous for their vivid colours and were extensively used as a necklace or pendant. This is because people believed that they attracted wealth, power, and love.
Here are some reasons for choosing Opal jewellery.
1.Opal jewellery has an array of different colours and designs. Their unique appearance can resemble the colours of a rainbow. These pendants are extremely rare and there are only a few opal pendants found for every 1000 diamonds.
2.Opal can be crafted into multiple shapes and designs and can be set into low-priced tourist items. Koalas, Kangaroos and Opera Houses set with Opals and worn as pendants as a fun and inexpensive memento of Australia.
3.Their formation is extremely rare! They are discovered in water comprising dissolved silica seeps in the beds of Australian soil. Here, over time the water and silica are deposited deep into the earth. As the water thereafter evaporates, the silica reacts with air and becomes hard, forming the structure known as Opal.
Unlike other gemstones, Opal contains no crystalline structure. Rather, it is composed of tiny particles of silica. These particles settle in an orderly pattern; giving us beautiful Opals.
Australian Opal Jewelry Trends
1. Men and women
Australian Opal is popular among both men and women. They can be worn by everyone and have not developed any sort of “stereotypes”. Additionally, they can be used for making a variety of jewellery pieces whether modern or classic with ease and adaptability. Men can wear multiple designs crafted specially for their personality types. For example, Boulder Opal looks fabulous on men when designed in a silver or leather bracelet. As for women’s designs, Opal can be crafted into various styles and designs from Victorian to modern design.
2. Opal ring
Opal Rings look really beautiful on hands. They reflect the colours of the rainbow as they move and turn, absorbing and reflecting the light. The best part about Australian Opal Jewellery is that it can be worn every day. Their shine does not fade away over time and the appearance remains the same even with daily usage. They can be crafted into beautiful rings with a boundary of Gold or Platinum that surrounds the gemstone and makes it look even more beautiful.
3. Opal Necklace
Crystal Opals are famous for chains and necklaces as the clear and beautiful appearance of the gem reflects multiple colours and can be worn daily with different styles and clothing. Crystal Opals found in Coober Pedy or Andamooka are the most commonly used gems for crafting necklaces or earrings. Sometimes Boulder Opals can also be used for making pendants and a matching earring pair. However, these crystals are very precious and difficult to find.
4. Black Opal Rings
The Deep Black base Opal stones display different colours such as orange, green, blue and red, pink and indigo. The Black Opals are generally found in a small 30km field in North Western N.S.W. known as the Lightning Ridge. This area in New South Wales, Australia is the only place where Black Opal is unearthed.
Types of Opals
Different kinds of Opal stones are used for making different ornaments. In general, there are 4 kinds of Opal stones used for making jewellery;
1. Black Opals
Black Opals with gem colour and a pattern are very rare. They are the most expensive, having darker edges in tandem with wide vivid colours. Since their background is darker, they usually reflect more vibrant colours. Good quality stones can vary from thousands to ten thousand dollars per carat.
2. Crystal Opal
Crystal Opals are beautiful gemstones that can be transparent or semi-transparent in appearance. They are milky-white in colour and have vibrant rainbow colours reflecting from the centre of the stone. The cost of these Opals can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars for rich and good-quality stones.
3. Fire
They are originally not Austrian Opals but are found in Mexico or Brazil. Their beautiful appearance can range from orange, yellow, and red colours.
4. Boulder
Boulder Opal is extracted as a whole with its host ironstone or sandstone connected to it. They have vibrant colours, just like black Opals. They come in unique shapes and irregular sizes, that can be used for making different jewellery.
Conclusion
There are different varieties of Australian Opal used for making different jewellery designs and ornaments. In this blog post, we have discussed the value of Opal stones, their types, and Australian Opal jewellery trends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. They are rare, expensive, and beautiful which makes them a popular item for jewellery ornaments.
2. Why is Australian Opal so expensive?Ans. This is because of their high-quality, beautiful designs, and variety of types and sizes.