October has arrived; the leaves are turning gold, the scent of Pumpkin Spice Latte fills the air, and the stone of the month is the Opal.
Opal is quite an unusual stone; unlike most other gemstones, it is not crystalline. It is in fact a hardened form of silica gel, and contains around 5-10% water. Its unique appearance comes from the arrangement of tiny silica spheres within its structure, which diffract light and create a stunning iridescence or play of colour.
Precious opals can range in dominant colour throughout the entire spectrum; from rare black opals to vivid orange fire opals, to elegant white opals and almost every colour in between; in the most beautiful examples, the full spectrum is invoked. In the Middle Ages, this was thought to make the opal an especially lucky stone; it was thought to carry all the virtues of every other gemstone whose colour was reflected in it.
In some cases, you can see different colours within the same stone; a particularly famous example is the “Flame Queen” opal, which demonstrates the “eye-of-opal” effect formed when opal in-fills a cavity; the central dome flashes red or gold depending on the angle of view, whilst the surrounding band is a deep blue-green.
- Image credit: David Plane
Other famous opals include the Galaxy Opal, which entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992 as the world’s largest polished opal; at an incredible 3,749 carats (a weight of 0.75kg) it is carved into a shape resembling a child’s head and is today part of an unnamed private collection.
Owners of opals are also in royal company; in 1954, when Queen Elizabeth II made her first visit to South Australia, she was presented with the Andamooka Opal, thought to be the finest and largest stone to come from the opal mining town of the same name. It was cut and polished to 203 carats and set into an ornate scrolled palladium necklace. Also known as the Queen’s Opal, it resides in Her Majesty’s jewel collection to this day.
Whilst many colours of opal can be used in jewellery, the classic is, of course, the subtle and elegant white opal. At Banks Lyon, we have a particularly fine piece which showcases the exquisite beauty of this stone; an 18ct White Gold 2.62ct White Opal & Diamond Cluster Pendant.
The superb 2.62 carat white opal at its heart was chosen specifically by Rodney for its wonderful display of spectrum colours; complemented by a double tier of brilliant cut diamonds, totalling 0.41 carats, and set into 18ct white gold, this is a glamorous pendant that anyone would delight in wearing.
This unique piece is available now at £3,500, or on our 0% finance option at 36 monthly payments of £77.78 and a 20% deposit.
For more information about this stunning pendant, to ask about any of our other pieces or for details of our bespoke jewellery design service, please feel free to contact us on 01524 38 48 58.
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