One of the most well known gems across the world, opals have one of the most unique stories of the gemological family. Opals were considered a rare and prized gem in Europe until the 19th century when large deposits of the stone were found in Australia. Nowadays, opals can be found all over the world: from Australia to Ethiopia, the United States to Mexico. Some may even consider the opal an out of this world gem – in 2008 NASA announced it had discovered opal deposits on Mars.
While clearly not the most rare of all gemstones, there are few that match the versatility of opals. The types of stones are divided into two broad classes: precious and common. Precious opals display play-of-color, which is basically an effect that causes flashes of colored light from minerals within the gem. Play-of-color is caused by light diffraction – when light bends around the corner of an obstacle instead of changing direction, which would be refraction. Common opals do not display play-of-color.
What makes the opal in this piece unique is the entirely dark color. It’s what is referred to as a black opal; which is predominately found in Lightning Ridge, an Australian town in New South Wales. This kind of opal contains a dark background and typically displays bright green and dark blue colors within the stone itself.
Here at Jewelry Designs, we knew we needed to create a piece around the stone that exemplified its beauty and was as unique as the opal is. Our master artisans worked to accommodate the teardrop-like shape of the stone, and give it a twist to make it really stand out among necklaces. If you’re looking for a jewelry centerpiece to your style, you cannot go wrong with this designer necklace, which can only be found at Jewelry Designs.