Birthstones are generally worn as a ring or pendant and are
traditionally associated with the numerous qualities that symbolize the month
of birth in the Gregorian calendar. As
such, the Gregorian calendar also has poems to match each month with its
birthstone. The poem for October reads:
October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal
on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest.
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal
on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest.
The name for the Opal gemstone comes from the Latin word “opalus,”
which means precious jewel. It’s most
revered for its stunning ability to reflect and refract certain wavelengths of
light and was known by the Romans as “Cupid Paederos,” meaning a child as
beautiful as love. Legend says that the
Opal originated by falling from the heavens in a fiery flash of lightning. Whether this legend is true or not, there’s
no debating the magnificent beauty of the Opal and all the fabulous colors that
it holds within its mysterious grasp.
Dating back to prehistoric times, the Opal is a mineral
found near the earth’s surface in areas where ancient geothermal hot springs
used to exist. Over the years, as these
hot springs went dry, layers of the silica, mixed with water, deposited into the
crevices of the bedrock, thus forming the Opal.
Ancient royals prized Opals not only for their beauty, but for their
presumed protective powers. They were
often used in crowns and worn in necklaces to ward off evil. They were also believed to protect ones
eyesight. Further, they were sometimes
ground and actually ingested for their healing powers and to ward off
nightmares.
Today, many of the world’s Opal mines are found in Southern Australia. Deposits can also be found in Mexico,
Czechoslovakia, Brazil and Nevada. If
you wish to purchase a quality opal, be prepared as they are very
expensive. This is mainly due to the
delicacy of them and the caution that must be used in cutting and then setting
them into jewelry. Because they contain
up to 30% water, they need to be protected from harsh chemicals and heat, which
can cause drying and as a result, cracking and loss of iridescence. Further, they are quite soft and can break
easily.
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| Air Blue Opal Swarovski Bicones Crystals |
At Brightlings Beads, we have several Opal choices for you
to peruse and create beautiful jewelry designs.
Swarovski crystals produce a number of different Opal choices in an
assortment of gorgeous colors. There are
too many to picture them all, but here are just a few.
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| Cyclamen Opal Swarovski Bicones Crystals |
Brightlings Beads also has several Jewelry Design Kits
featuring various shades of Opal beads.
A beautiful design is our Sophia Cameo Bracelet and Earring Jewelry
Design Kit. The use of Swarovski’s White
Opal adds beautiful hues of muted white to compliment the white on black
Cameos.
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| Sophia Cameo Bracelet & Earring Jewelry Design Kit |
In addition to the Design Kits with Opals and the many Opal choices of Swarovski Crystals, Pink Opal 6x3mm Rondel Beads are a lovely choice for
bracelet and necklace designs, as are the White Opal Puffed Triangular beads.
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| White Opal 15x12mm Puffed Triangular Beads |
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| Pink Opal 6x3mm Rondel Beads |
To gift an Opal is a symbol of faithfulness and confidence
and its radiating energy is believed to brighten any occasion.
You may not realize
that October is one of those few months that actually have two birthstones from which to choose. The second being Tourmaline, a popular choice
because it can be found in a wide variety of colors. It’s also revered for its ability to show
several colors in just one gemstone.
Stay tuned for our Tourmaline blog post, coming soon…
Jewelry
supplies & beads, balance & harmony – Brightlings Beads
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