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 luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal. It was also said to confer the power of invisibility if wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and held in the hand. In the early 1800's, however, the opal acquired a less auspicious reputation. People began to associate opals with bad luck and death after publication of a novel where the heroine dies after a drop of water falls on her opal ring.

So, don't worry about those old superstitions (I'm still here!) and treat yourself to a sensational piece of opal jewelry

Necklace can be found on the Art For Your Neckline page