We have a beautiful collection of Opal products coming up for you next month! Before we do that, we thought you would appreciate some "basic education" to enhance your love for this fascinating gemstone.  

1. Opal is from the Greek "Opallos" meaning to "see a change of colour.

2. It is a non-crystalline silica and ranks 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs scale of Hardness. That's why you commonly find them set in earring and brooches etc. to keep it away from the impact!

3. Opal can be found in various countries like Brazil, Mexico and Australia. 96% of the worlds precious opal comes from three isolated areas in the outback of Australia.

4.  There are broadly 5 types of opal: light opal, crystal opal, boulder opal, black opal and composite opal. 

5. Special-effect! What we usually witness in most opal termed as "common opal", would be a milky or pearly luster known as "opalescence".  However, rare specimens of opal termed as "precious opal" produce brilliant color flashes when turned in the light. These color flashes are known as a "play-of-color." 

6. Finally, the million dollar question of what determines the value of opal? The type of opal, body tone, brilliance, pattern, colour bar thickness, the play of colour are all factors taken into consideration! Generally, a solid opal (compared to a composite one), a dark body tone and a good play of colour are what buyers look out for!