Opals hold a special place in my heart. When I graduated from college my grandmother gave  me an opal ring as a graduation gift. Many years later (more than I'd like to admit!) I still own that ring.

As we gaze into the center of opals they mesmorize us because they sparkle with many vibrant colors ranging from clear through white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, olive, brown, and black. Of these hues, the reds against black are the most rare, whereas white and greens are the most common.

The world's largest and most valuable gem opal "Olympic Australis" weighs 17,000 carats and is 11 inches.

In the Middle Ages, the opal was considered a stone that could provide great .........