Saturnalia’s part dedicated to Ops was named Opalia, which sounds a lot like opalus. Its name is said to have come from Ops, Saturn’s wife, who was also a goddess of fertility. In Europe, opal was first mentioned by Pliny the Elder. Opalization only happens when the conditions are just right for the opal to form where the bone originally was. One interesting phenomenon that occurs is opalization: when opal replaces another material or tissue over millions of years.Īrcheologists have found opalized teeth, bones, fish, and snakeheads dating from as far back as the Miocene Epoch (23.03 million years ago to 5.33 million years ago). In the US, the most popular location for opal mining is Nevada, which produces white, crystal, lemon, fire, and even black opals.
In Mexico, opal has been extracted since 1870, mostly in Querétaro. Second in production and available deposits is Ethiopia with the Welo province dominating the local gem market. It's the national stone of Australia, which is not surprising: 95-97% of the world's supply of opals comes from there. Opal forms in Australia, Ethiopia, Mexico, and the US. Opals' hardness ranges typically from 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. Some of the popular variations of this stunning mineraloid are Andean Opal, Fire Opal, Boulder Opal, Moss Opal, and White Opal. While common opals aren't always iridescent, precious opals do tend to be.
Depending on geomorphic conditions, opals can range from transparent to opaque and have nearly every possible color, including white and black. Opal is deposited at low temperatures and occurs naturally in many types of rocks, such as sandstone or basalt. It's usually hydrated however, its water content may vary from 3-21%. Opal is a mineraloid: an amorphous form of silica. This post covers opals, generally, as well as the stunning Ethiopian opal. Opals are a beautiful, colorful, coveted stone, filled with mystery, intrigue, and lore.
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