FIRE OPAL

Fire Opal is a unique form of Opal found mainly in Mexico. It varies in colour from pale yellow to deep red. Cabochons are usually cut from material that shows a marked colour play. Material without the flashes of colour is normally faceted. If a rainbow could be captured and set in a ring then it would be called "opal". Chasing the rainbow (finding the colour layers that exist in the rough rocks) has been an occupation of lapidaries for years. Opal is comprised of tiny spheres of silica. When these spheres are of uniform size and arranged in a three dimensional layer, light is diffracted into the colours of the spectrum and conveyed as a flash of coloured light. Opal is the stone of emotional, physical and mental harmony. Fire opals in particular are supposed to stimulate passion. Location - Brazil, Mexico. Group - Silica R. I. - 1.44 - 1.47 Hardness - 5.5 - 6.5