History of the Opal
The name ‘opal’ in its modern usage comes from the 16th-century word ‘opale’ (or oplaus in Latin) and is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit ‘upala’, meaning ‘precious stone’.
This gem was already popular in Ancient Greece and Rome, with Onomacritus, a 5th century BC oracle, purportedly claiming that “the delicate colour and tenderness of the opal reminds me of a loving and beautiful child.” However, before that, in the 1st century AD, Gaius Plinius Secundus popularised the opal through his works. He was an author, naturalist, natural philosopher and naval commander in the early Roman Empire who said of opals: “For in them you shall see the living fire of the ruby, the glorious purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all glittering together in an incredible mixture of light.”
The opal used to be known as the Queen of Gems in ancient times, as it possessed the colours of all other gems. The first recorded opal mining lease occurred in Slovakia, during the late 15th century, but it’s Australia that’s considered the opal’s classic country of origin. Since 1850, Australia has produced 95% of the world’s supply of these gems, and the country’s Lightning Ridge is well known for its rare and beautiful black opals.
In 2008, NASA announced the discovery of opal deposits on Mars.