It is hoped that by reading information contained within, you will have a better understanding of where opal comes from, how it is mined, and value and various types of opal available to collector, investor, or those who just want a better understanding of these fascinating stones.

There are over 100 different types of opal being mined around world, with each type being unique to area it came from and no two opals alike. I have attempted to include most common types available to you as a buyer.

In this 7 part series, we will cover subjects ranging from, myths, legends and folklore surrounding opal, were opal is mined around world and discovery of opal in Australia. Our topics will also include how opal is mined, processed and cut as well as different types of opal. Lastly we cover caring for your opals and how an opals is valued.

Pt1 - Myths, Legends and Folklore

Opal has been treasured throughout history from early Aztecs and Romans to Queen Victoria, who loved opals so much that she gave them away as wedding presents. They have adorned crowns of Holy Roman Emperor, and are set in crown jewels of France. Josephine was given an opal with brilliant red flashes called “The Burning of Troy” by Napoleon. Roman historian Pliny described beauty of opals as combination of beauty of all gems.

“Natures Fireworks” and “The Queen of Gems” are some of superlatives that have been used to describe opal. The word itself – “opal” – may have several origins and differing suggestions as to its first use: One is that it comes from a Sanskrit word “upala,” simply meaning “precious stone.” Another is that Romans knew it by different names – “opthalmus,” from Greek word for “eye,” and “paederes,” meaning both “child and “favourite.” Whatever actual name origin; opal has been a favoured, valued stone throughout a long period of history.

Faraday didn’t need to see his soul in order to know it existed, but he wanted rest of world to know it existed. He and his Sandemanian cohorts practiced a personal meditative relationship with God/Goddess/It/The Force, which is most appropriate in my humble opinion. The extent to which our brain wavelengths can evolve or be altered is a subject of much research at present. I hear that Hank Wesselmann who was a researcher on team that discovered Lucy has a very different brain state that gurus and healers can not easily achieve or maintain as long as he does. Some people think we are about to evolve or adapt to collective mind state and I surely hope it happens quickly. The Quaker or Shaker non-ritualistic approach is very much like Sandemanians who most people will never learn about. They are social activists who value real knowledge and use love as a guiding force in their lives – other than ‘Tricky Dicky’ Nixon.

I think one of carriers of ‘World Mind’ information is Earth Energy Grid. Can I prove it? Can I weigh wisdom? Will we ever reach point of being able to manifest a new paradigm if we insist we must see everything? I am a skeptic and I advocate questioning rather than using faith – but at some point we can decide on higher probability and work with what can achieve results even if we do not fully understand it. The earth energy affects our genes and allows a certain feedback mechanism that can be useful. I will probably never fully grasp enough of these things to make a significant contribution to science of soul, but I wish I had been born knowing what I know now. The books just weren’t available and research is largely new. It is an exciting era and opportunity to GROW has never been greater.

“Scientists have long known that certain minerals in molten rock, as they cool, become magnetized by Earth’s magnetic field, and are aligned with planet’s north and south magnetic poles. When lava hardens, its magnetic field becomes permanent, and points north like a compass needle. A good compass needle can be locked in place with turn of a screw. Likewise hardened rock: unless rock is moved or melted down, its magnetic field should point north forever.