The opal is a unique gemstone made of an ancient mineral. It contains the entire color spectrum and is divided into two types; regular unified color opal, and precious opal – a precious gemstone with an internal structure and a spectacular play of color.
The precious opal is divided into several types; black opal, semi-black opal, white opal (with opaque background) and boulder opal.
The opal contains a large amount of water, and is considered a relatively fragile gemstone, which usually isn’t set close to other gemstones.
The origin of the name is the Sanskrit word Upala (precious stone) or the Latin word Opalus (shifting colors). Opal’s hardness level, which is relatively low, ranges from 5 to 6.5. The gemstone’s crystallization structure varies from completely transparent to complete opaque. Most of the world’s opal gemstones come from Australia and the rest come from America, New Zealand and India.
