Opals are one of nature’s most beautiful gemstones and can be found in many different forms, some of the better known ones are: White Opal, Mexican Fire Opal, Jelly Opal and Black Opal. chttp://www.minerals.net/mineral/silicate/tecto/quartz/images/opal/opalvary.htm

Opals are 5½ - 6½ on the Mohs scale, so they are not a hardwearing gemstone http://www.minerals.net/gemstone/gemstone/opal/opal.htm

Louis Leakey, the famous anthropologist is believed to have discovered the earliest known opal artifacts in a cave in Kenya. These opals dated back to about 4000 BC and probably originated in Ethiopia. http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/articles/history.php

Throughout history opals have been found in Hungary, Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Zambia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Poland, Peru, Canada, New Zealand, Indonesia, the USA, and Brazil. Since the late 1800s Australia has produced more than ninety per cent of the global output.

The name ‘’’Opal’’’ originates from the Sanskrit Upala, meaning "precious stone"; the Latin Opalus; and the Greek Opallios both of which mean "to see a color change".

This guide will look at some of the popular varieties of opals, types of opal jewelry and some of the ways of buying and caring for your opal jewelry.

White opals are a milky, pearly gemstone displaying an attractive play of many colors. These appear to change when the opal is viewed at different angles.http://www.all-that-gifts.com/se/opal.html They are always cabochon cut, a smooth rounded cut which has no facets. Some of the most colorful and expensive gems can have every color of the rainbow within them. Black opals have a very much darker background of dark blue, dark green, or black and the strong contrast with the colors in the gemstone creates a stunningly vivid jewel.

As well as looking in your local retail outlets. it is a very good idea to look on the internet to buy your black or white opals. There are many sources in Australia where you can purchase your jewelry direct from the manufacturers at very competitive prices, it is even possible to buy from the miners through an agent. http://www.pte-direct.com//<ref>

If you live in Australia, or are lucky enough to be able to visit, a tour of an opal mine would be a fascinating experience and you would have the opportunity of buying your opals or opal jewelry at the location where it was discovered.<ref> http://www.whitecliffsopalfield.com/opal-mine-tour

Mexican Fire Opals are found in every shade of orange through to red, they can be either cut as a cabochon or faceted, in both cuts this is a gem of great beauty. http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/fire.html

There is not always a very large selection of Fire Opals to be found at local retailers; the best selection will be seen on the internet where it is possible to find loose fire opals as well as pre-set into jewelry. Fire opals look wonderful with diamond accent stones and are equally good set in either yellow gold, white gold or silver.

As well as the internet, the television shopping channels are a good place to locate all kinds of opal jewelry and sometimes you can save a lot of money on your purchase because these companies are very often also manufacturers and so cut out the middlemen. It is always a good idea to read the reviews for these companies before buying, so that you can make an informed decision on which one is the best for you. If you do see an item that appeals to you in a shop, always ask for discount, you could be pleasantly surprised.

Jelly opals are a type of opal that is transparent and when rotated or moved has flashes of rainbow colors visible within the gem.http://www.cercagems.com/jewels/opal/517/precious-jelly-opal-.cfmThese gemstones are very pale in color and are usually cabochon cut, they can resemble Moonstones.

The old wives tale of opals being unlucky originated when the writer Sir Walter Scott started a superstition that opals were bad luck for people not born in October, this was because in one of his novels, Anne of Gerstein, written in 1829, the heroine Anne, owned an opal that glowed fiery red when she was angry and turned ashen grey when she died. The result was that the market for opals nearly disappeared.

Queen Victoria, who loved opals, was not amused and worked to dispel the superstition by wearing opals and by giving opal jewelry as gifts to her five daughters and as presents at a royal wedding.http://www.thaigem.com/gemopedia/opal.asp

Fire Opals are reputed to have mystical properties, they are often associated with money and attracting money to the wearer. http://www.luckygemstones.com/fire-opal-jewelry-mexican-gem.htm

At only 5½ - 6½ on the Mohs scale of hardness, this is a soft gemstone that will not tolerate harsh treatment and care must be taken when wearing opal jewelry not to knock it or immerse it in water when it is worn. http://www.minerals.net/gemstone/gemstone/opal/opal.htm

Opals contain up to 13% water and must never be subjected to heat, they can dehydrate and crack.http://www.all-that-gifts.com/se/opal.html

A polish with a soft cloth after first rinsing with cold water is all that is needed to clean opals, treat them carefully and they will give you pleasure for a lifetime.http://opal-trader.com/support/opal_care.asp