The other day a fire opal and diamond ring made it into my hands for a few moments, and I obviously took the chance to photograph it for us here on the blog:
Fire Opal and Diamond Ring
Our love for fire opals date back to ancient times, when it was the symbol of passionate love in India, the Persian kingdom, and in the Americas. The Mayas and Aztecs called it Quetzalitzlipyollitli – ‘the stone of the bird of paradise’, as they believed that this kind of beauty could only ever have been created in the waters of paradise. (1) The most significant fire opal deposits in the world can be found in Mexico, and it is Mexico’s national gemstone.
Fire opals reach a hardness of 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale (where a diamond is a 10 and sapphires are a 9) so it is quite a sensitive gemstone and must be worn with care. The extraordinary colour in the stone comes from little traces of iron oxide, and some fire opals display the play of colours that we see in regular opals, however they are mostly known for their vivid body colour, as opposed to other opals, where the play of colours is what determines the value.
These beautiful gemstones bring us a feeling of warmth and well-being, and they are thought to bring courage, will-power and energy to their wearer.
Sources
(1) International Coloured Gemstone Association
Decades of Elegance 