Crystal Opal (multi-color)

Item Description

Opals are certainly some of the most distinctive gems in the world for the fact that they are one of the few stones that naturally displays multiple colors within the same gem. Here we have a lovely, classic solid (not a doublet or a triplet) Opal from Australia with an "Oval Cabochon" cut. These stones are typically referred to as Crystal Opal, as it's actually translucent when backlit, showing a rich golden hue internally, but when the stone is viewed in reflected light, it shows bright flashes of green, golden, orange, blue and purple color on the surface. Opals have been admired for thousands of years, as the Romans saw the gem as a symbol of love and hope, and the ancient Greeks believed that Opal gems would grant powers of prophecy and even protect their owners from disease. Today, Australian Opals are the standard bearer, as the finest examples of Black Opal and other varieties have been mined in Australia for generations. It's also the traditional birthstone for October.