Min 1.00ct Mm Varies Mexican Fire Opal Item: JPM100F
JTV Price: $75.99Price: $32.29 You Save: 58%
Product Description for Min 1.00ct Mm Varies Mexican Fire Opal-JPM100Fmin 1.00ct mm varies mexican fire opal. shapes and colors will vary.
Product Information for Min 1.00ct Mm Varies Mexican Fire Opal-JPM100F
| Product Type: | Single Stone |
Primary Stone / Fire Opal
| Shape: | Mixed Shapes | Composition: | Natural |
| Cut: | Cabochon | Treatment: | Untreated |
| Color: | Orange | Gemstone Group: | Opal |
| Dimensions: | Mixed Uncalibrated |
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5
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3 of 3 (100%) customers would recommend this product to a friend. |
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Top 10 Contributor
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5
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Mexican Fire Opal with Color-Play!,
March 20, 2008
GemFairy
, Orlando, Florida
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Reviewer Images
(click to see full-size image)
"A fabulous Mexican fire opal, this gem is so unique with its play of color! I hadn't ever heard of Mexican Fire "jelly" opal with actual color-play until several summers ago when Cheryl discussed the gem during one of her shows. I couldn't wait see the color-play of this rare gemstone reading the excellent reviews! It's a fantastic fire opal, and I am so pleased to include it in our family's collection. Beautiful! The opal is perfectly clear and fully saturated, with excellent orange-red color that softly flashes yellow, a lime green, and a pretty cherry, almost dark pink or berry, color -- amazing! Gracias!"
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Product met expectations:
Yes
Purchased as a gift:
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11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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5
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great color,
October 7, 2007
gemnut2
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"I saw this stone on tv and absolutely loved the color. If you like a stone with plenty of play of color, you will love this stone. You will see just about every color of the rainbow. In fact, I will probably pick up another stone while it is still available. Best of luck to you all."
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Product met expectations:
Yes
Purchased as a gift:
No
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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 home learning library opal
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Fast Facts
| Distinguished for its play-of-color, opal displays a brilliant range of rainbow-like colors when seen from different angles. |
| Opal was once considered a symbol of fidelity, assurance, and religious devotion. |
| The ancient Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, suggested the opal is difficult to describe because it blends so many colors in a “brightness that is incredible.” |
| Australia is the primary source of Opal. |
 Opal is the birthstone for October. |
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Opal
Opal is a unique gemstone with a beautiful play-of-color display. It can exhibit a full range of hues from the color wheel set against a light or dark background. On Mohs’ scale of hardness, opal is 5.5-6.5. Primary sources include Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Nevada and Idaho.
Color
It can exhibit a full range of hues from the color wheel set against a light or dark background. The most well known varieties are recognized by the appearance of confetti-like colors sparkling over a white or dark ground.
As the stone is moved, the colors change; different flashes of rainbow-like colors can be seen from different angles. This play-of-color is caused by the diffraction of light in the spherical crystal structure.
Tiny hydrated silica spheres (150 to 300 nanometers) rather than cubic crystals , make up opals??? unique composition The shape, size, and organization of these spheres are responsible for the color-play seen in the opal. The light bends slightly (diffracts), then due to the spherical crystal shapes, some colors are seen in certain areas while canceling out other colors. The naked eye simply beholds the effects of this diffraction and brilliant unique play-of-color.
                   
Type of Opal
While there are many different types of opal, the three most popular are black opal, white opal and fire opal. Black opal is the rarest, most expensive and considered by many the most beautiful. It displays a brilliant array of color on a black background. Black opal is popular in Japan and China, and is now beginning to generate excitement in America. The majority of black opal comes from Lightening Ridge, Australia. White opal displays a play-of-color across a light or white background. Fire opal comes from Mexico or Brazil and is fast becoming a popular stone. Looking almost like a burst of flames, it comes in yellow, red, or orange, and may or may not have play-of-color. When it has play-of-color, it is called “precious Mexican fire opal.”
History
Opals were probably first mined around 4000 B.C. in Ethiopia, but their popularity did not grow until the Romans embraced them around 100 B.C. By then, the majority of opals were mined in Hungary. For over a 1,000 years Hungary supplied European rulers and churchmen with the treasure of opals. During that time powers good and bad were attributed to opals.
In 1829, Sir Walter Scott wrote a novel, Anne of Geierstein. The public misread the story and assumed the opal caused misfortune to come upon the heroine. This reinforced the idea of opals being bad luck, and the opal market dropped in the aftermath.
At the same time, Australian opals began appearing in the market, but dealers were hesitant because the Australian opals were much more brilliant and some assumed they were fakes. Queen Victoria fell in love with these gems and her passion helped restore opals as a popular stone. By the turn of the century, Australia had become the world’s primary supplier of opals.
While opal deposits are found in Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Nevada, and Idaho, the primary supply of opals comes from Australia. Many Australian mining towns still rustle with excitement and danger like the American Wild West. Consider Lightening Ridge.
First discovered in 1902, Lightening Ridge became one of the most important opal fields in the world. At the same time, it attracted many loners and interesting characters. Known only by their first names or aliases, these miners formed a cash-based opal mining community with little or no records—a perfect hideaway for the person who wants to disappear.
Coober Pedy, another fascinating mine field, is located in the desert of South Australia. During the summer months of December through February, the temperatures can rise as high at 120 to 140 degrees. To survive this unbearable heat, the miners build their homes underground. The surface of Coober Pedy looks like an abandoned moonscape and even served as a perfect back drop for Mel Gibson’s first big movie, Mad Max.
Opals tend to cost less than diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. The more expensive opals usually go to Japan and China and sell for tens of thousands of dollars. You can usually get a really nice white opal for under a $1,000. If you are looking for a rare, higher priced opal, ACN can help; just send us a note and some one will contact you.
Doublets and triplets
Assembled opals combine natural opal with other materials. A doublet contains a slice of opal glued to common opal, glass or other material. A triplet contains a slice of opal glued between a base and a crystal or a glass top. Triplets are usually less expensive than doublets, and both are less expensive than natural opals. Triplets are great for ring stones as they have the protective coating over the opal.
Other stones can scratch or even break opals, so be sure to store opals separately
As with all gemstones, avoid scratches from contact with harder substances by keeping the stone in a soft cloth bag away from harder substances such as other jewelry.
You should not expose doublet or triplet opals to extended periods of bathing or swimming for it is difficult to predict how the glue will reacts under such conditions.
Maintain their beauty by cleaning your gems
Gems, particularly those in rings, will collect dust behind the gem. Clean your opal with plain warm water or soapy water. Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaning because they may be too harsh for some gems.
Avoid extreme conditions
Opals sometimes dehydrate shortly after being mined, and then opals might have a tendency to craze, which means to crack or developing webbing. If the opal survives several months without crazing, it is likely to last. Some opals maintain their beauty for centuries. To help protect your opal, avoid high heat, direct sunlight, hot showcase lights, desert conditions, low humidity bank vaults, or other extremes. Rapid temperature changes can also affect your opal.
Water not oil
Opals can have a tendency to dry and crack, so in addition to avoid conditions that might accentuate drying, you might also want to soak your opal in water for several hours from time to time. Avoid soaking or wiping with oil! Oil can potentially damage the opal causing it to lose its fire.
Avoid wearing gems during strenuous exercise.
It is safest to store them while engaging in any activity where they might be subject to high impact.
Do not handle jewelry by the stone
You don’t want to loosen a stone from the mount and take a chance of eventually losing it if the stone falls out.
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