What Are Fire Opals?

History

• Fire opals still admired beauty and rarity, as they were in ancient times throughout India, Persia and Central America. The Maya and Aztec cultures used fire opals for mosaics and ritualistic purposes. These cultures also named it "Quetzalitzlipyollitli" which meant "the stoner of the bird of paradise." The word opal derives from a Greek word that means "to see a color change."

Color

• Fire opals come in two color types. The first has a translucent appearance that contains yellow, orange and red hues. The second is more of a brownish color. When people judge the beauty in fire opals, a burnt red-orange combination is the most preferred.

Details

• Fire opals are found today in Brazil, the U.S., Australia, Guatemala and Mexico. They gemstones are are located in extinct volcanoes, mines and other locations throughout these regions. According to the International Colored Gemstone Association, connoisseurs believe that fire opals have healing effects and other positive effects to those wearing them, such as peace and harmony.

Considerations

• Fire opals are like all other delicate gemstones and must be handled with extreme care. They have water contained in them and will crack or fade in color if the water dries out. People living in dry climates must take caution to avoid this from happening. They also have a soft surface, which may scratch relatively easily. Cutters of these gemstones must take great precautions when working with them, as they try to cut the stone so that the colors are best displayed. Because of their sensitivity, excessive heat is avoided at all times as it promotes the gems to dry out.

Uses

• The opal is the birthstone used for the month of October, and like other opals, fire opals are used as decorations. They are mainly used in jewelry, such as earrings, pendants and brooches.