October
Opal

Opal takes its name from the Latin word “Upala” meaning “precious stone”.

Pliny, a learned Roman scholar, described opal as having
“the fire of comet, the brilliant purple of amethyst
and the sea-green color of emerald,
all shining together in incredible union”.

The Romans believed opal was the symbol of hope and purity.
They called it “Cupid Paederos” (child as beautiful as love)
and thought the wearer safe from disease.

The Arabs believed opals fell from heaven in flashes of lightning
and thus acquired their marvelous play-of-color.

Ancient Greeks also believed the opal had the power of giving foresight
and the light of prophecy to their owners.

To help preserve their beauty, opals should be treated with care due to their fragile nature.

Opal is the birthstone for the month of October
and is designated for the13th wedding anniversary.

Opals come in many varieties, the following are the ones most commonly used in fine jewelry.
 

White Opal (most common) can have no color display to a very lively and colorful one.
This Opal can range in price from 50 cents per carat to as much as $200 per carat.
At Randy’s we stock these Opals priced between $30 and $200 per carat.

Black Opal (most rare) can be totally black to black with a flash of many colors.
Black Opal can run from as little as $10 per carat to $2500 per carat.
We have a limited selection from about $250 per carat to $500 per carat.

Boulder Opal (opal in matrix) is the only Opal usually sold by the piece
instead of by the carat because the non opal host rock is attached.
Boulder Opal is most often cut in odd shapes because of its orientation to the host rock.
Randy says you would be surprised by the beauty of
Boulder Opal’s play of color within the dark host rock.
We have a nice selection Boulder Opals.
You would be happy to know you can but a beautiful specimen for as little as $90.

Fire Opal (orange), sometimes called Mexican Opal,
can ran from a very pale orange to an intense orange with an intense display of color.
Fire Opal can be very milky to very clear
even to the point that some of the finer stones have been faceted.
Randy said that the prices on these stones are low to moderate
because demand in the US has been low.
There are some good buys to be had and if orange is your favorite color
Fire Opal might just be for you.
Fire Opal prices range from $5 to $150 per carat.

We have uncut opal rough for your viewing pleasure.