Lightning in October
I love my birthstone, sapphire, for all of its colors, but I think if I were to have to choose another for myself, I would lean towards opal. There are so many different types out there, from the more traditional jelly opal to colorful boulder opal, to bright and almost prehistoric-looking fire opal, that you never have to run out of jewelry options.
Romans once believed that because opals contained so many gemstone colors that they were the most precious of all the stones. Other ancient civilizations believed the stones contained captured lightning. It's not hard to see how both of those ideas came to be.
There is a colorful variety of opal to fit just about any budget!
Known for its play of color, opal is made up primarily of silica and contains a significant amount of water trapped within its structure. The minute grids of silica can create the beautiful flashes of red within the stone, which can often make it more valuable. No two opals will display all of the same colors and no two are alike!
Different types of opal can be found across the globe, from Australia and Africa, to Mexico and South America, and even here in the U.S.
With so many different types of opal available, and many grades among each type, the good news is there is probably a colorful variety to fit just about any budget!
xo, Theresa