Crystal Opal (multi-color)

Item Description

Opals are distinctive for the fact that they are one of the few stones that naturally displays multiple colors within the same gem. It's also one of those gems that ranges from completely transparent to opaque, and looks beautiful in all forms. Here we have a lovely, classic solid (not a doublet or a triplet) Opal from Australia with an "Oval Cabochon" cut. There is a bit of attached matrix on the back of the gem for reference. These stones are typically referred to as Crystal Opal, and when the stone is viewed in reflected light, it shows bright flashes of green, yellow, blue, purple and a slight pink flash 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.