The opal is the national gemstone of Australia. After all, more than 90 percent of the world's opal is mined in Australia and much of this comes from just one state, South Australia. It is also found in Queensland and New South Wales. Black opals from New South Wales' Lightening Ridge are well known. Unlike most other gemstones, opal is not crystalline, rather it is made from hydrated silica.

Did you know that the word opal comes from the Sanskrit word, upala, which means precious stone? The Romans called it opalus and valued it for its brilliant colors and its supposed ability to ward away eye diseases.

Australian Opals- The Best in the World

Opals mined in Australia are known for their brilliance and their stability. Opals mined in other places in the world come from volcanic rock, which leaves them with a high water content. These opals can get damaged in hot or dry conditions. Opal by Anderson Beattie stocks a wide range of Australian opals, obtained from the best Australian mines.

Pure opal does exist, but it is very rare. Rather, opal has different body colours according to the mineral impurities in the stone. So you have colours like gray, white, yellow, blue, rose, slate, brown, black, red, green and more. For a gemstone, opal is quite soft and has a hardness of 5.5 to 6 on the Moh's scale. So opal is best suited for brooches, earrings and other pieces of jewellery that will not receive hard use.

How the Opal Came to Be

According to an old aboriginal story, a young boy was chasing a kangaroo. He finally caught it with his wooden club and started to make a meal of it. Before he began eating, he stuck his wooden club into the ground and lo! The wooden club was turned into an opal stone. Even now, when an opal miner finds a vertical vein in a mine, he considers it a sign of good luck. It tells him that he is not too far from his goal.

It is said that an opal gives inspiration and enhances the wearer's creativity and imagination. It releases inhibitions and improves the memory. Opal has a very spiritual side and is said to bring happy dreams to the wearer.

Different Opals and Their Properties

Opals of different colors have different properties. For instance, Fire Opal is said to enhance personal power and awaken the inner fire in the wearer. Green Opal is cleansing and promotes rejuvenation. If you are having troubles in your relationships, then you should wear Green Opal. Black Opal is said to enhance the wearer's sexual attractiveness and leads to higher spiritual experiences.

The cost of an opal depends on the qualities of the stone like body tone, colours present, colour play, size and pattern. If you want to buy an opal online, Opal by Anderson Beattie is one of the best sites on the internet to do so.