Jewellery & Watch News
The birthstone for October is Opal, which is largely characterised by its hypnotic and mysterious play of colours within the stone, particularly mesmerising in the light. The October birthstone is unlike many gemstones, in the fact that the Opal is distinctly individual with each piece, creating the most precious unique treasure. Those with a birthday in October or who have a special occasion this month are truly fortunate, with carefully selected stones in our collections, their gift would most certainly be one to cherish. Discover the Opal history, Opal properties and Opal jewellery with C W Sellors this October.
History of Opals
Opal is believed to have been first mined over 10,000 years ago in Virgin Valley, North America. Since then, research suggests that Aztecs also mined opals yet it was the Romans that named the stone “opalus”, loosely translating to “Precious Stone”, which then popularised the stone. The ancient Greeks believed that Opals guarded the owner from disease and gifted them with the power of prophecy. Evidence throughout the years has been regarded as the luckiest gemstone in the world, mostly because it holds all the colours of sapphires, emeralds and rubies. Despite the extensive history of the stone, the Opal didn’t appear on the world market until the late 1800s.
Opal Formation
Opal is formed by a natural process of silicon dioxide and water. Silica from the sandstone gets picked up and carried by running water through the earth which then naturally fills voids and cracks. When the water evaporates, the silica deposit gets left behind. The cycle gets repeated continuously until an opal is formed – which can take roughly 5 million years to form just a single centimetre of the stone. The October birthstone can be found across the world, including Madagascar, Peru and Turkey to name a few, but most commonly is sourced from New South Wales in Australia.
Properties of Opal
Physically, opals are one of the most mesmerising gemstones in the world, distinguished by their colour-rich and glass-like smoothness. Because of the natural formation of the gemstone, the properties of opal widely differ, particularly because Opals are considered a hydrated amorphous form of silica. This means the water content can vary from anywhere between 3% and 21%. Opals boast a range of physical differences, and they are reduced into 5 main categories which include: white opals, black opals, fire opals, boulder opals and crystal opals. On the Moh’s Hardness Scale, they are rated between a 5 and a 6.5 on Moh’s, which includes all categories of opals.
Opal Jewellery
Whether you’re celebrating an October birthday, buying for a partner for your 34th wedding anniversary or you’re simply in love with the enchanting iridescence of the gemstone, Opal jewellery is a must-have for every woman’s jewellery collection. The stone pairs beautifully with other precious gemstones, in particular Diamonds. They highly complement the multi-tone quality of the opal whilst adding to the sparkle. At C W Sellors, we have an expert team of gemstone specialists who handpick and grade each jewel to meet our high standards and a team of talented in-house designers who combine their talents to bring you our exclusive Precious Gemstone Collection.
One for the future bride-to-be in your life. It features these two beautiful Opal and Diamond rings which are certain to achieve the instant ‘Yes!’. Including the 18ct White Gold Opal Diamond Oval Cluster Ring and the 18ct Yellow Gold Opal Diamond Oval Cluster Ring, these unique and timeless pieces showcase the Opal Precious Gemstone in the centre whilst they are enhanced with the halo of round brilliant cut diamonds.
One of our favourite pieces is the 18ct Yellow Gold 0.75ct Opal Diamond Pear Stud Earrings. Featuring two stunning pear cut, claw set opals totalling 0.75cts for the pair. The opals are set within 18ct white gold, accentuating the beautiful tones and shimmers within the precious gemstone. The opals are framed by 0.18cts of sparkling pave-set diamonds and are completed with secure 18ct yellow gold post and butterfly fastenings. The combination of white gold and yellow gold post beautifully complements the opal and diamond gemstones, making for an easy-to-wear everyday piece, the perfect gift for your most loved.
If you would like matching pieces, the 18ct White Gold Opal Diamond Pear Cluster Necklace and the 18ct White Gold 1.05ct Opal Diamond Cluster Round Stud Earrings sit beautifully together with similar opal colouring that makes for a stunning statement.
You can shop a beautiful range of Opal Jewellery and October Birthstone Jewellery on the C W Sellors website including Opal Necklaces, Opal Pendants, Opal Bracelets, Opal Earrings, Opal Rings, Opal Brooches and Opal Cufflinks. Get in touch today with the team to further discuss our range of Opal Jewellery by calling 01335 453453 or sending us a message at sales@cwsellors.com.
