Most people do not realize it but precious opal is comparable in price and is often more valuable than diamonds. And when you think of it, to the average person, if you’ve seen one diamond, you’ve seen the lot. They all look basically the same, apart from brilliance

However, Opal has a personality. There are stones which feature Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Pink, orange, and so on. Yet in each of these featured colors, you will find a subtle hint of other colors to complement them.

Most gemstones only come alive after they have been tampered with by men. Yet the opal will dazzle you in its natural state as it comes out of the ground. Some stones are left just as they are and set into jewelry. Others are shaped and polished to suite the taste of the owner, or the imagination of the cutter.

The uniqueness natural opal is that it is not just a rich man’s stone. While it is true that it may cost $30,000 or more to own one of the rarer stones such as the ‘Red Robin’ or the ‘Butterfly’, still the average person can share a small reflection of this glory for just a few dollars, and when the wearer is asked by a friend, “Is that a REAL OPAL?, whether it cost $50 or $50,000, one can truthfully say, YES. Not so with diamonds or sapphires, or any other gemstone.

Not only do opals have a personality of their own but you can select the stone which you feel personally suits you. Your complexion. The type and color of clothing you prefer. Remember than even though the stone you buy may be one of the lesser expensive ones, there is no other stone in the world exactly the same as it. Oh yes, there may be some similar but if you look at it carefully you should be able to recognize it among others.

And if you want to be really adventurous you can go for boulder opal fun stones. These magnificent gems are often quite cheap. Ranging in price from around $20, to whatever you want to pay. They often have ironstone inclusions in their face, and all sorts of interesting unique patterns are observed that make them even more unique than the average opal. These stones stimulate the artistic imagination of designers because they are usually not cut into traditional oval shapes but can be any shape that is decided upon by the cutter.

So…when deciding on YOUR opal, think about your own personality, and how you would like to express it in your jewelry. There is an opal with it’s own personality, waiting to be worn by someone who will match it.

Peter Brusaschi the author of the CD ‘The ordinary Bloke’s guide to opal’ has been sponsoring the site opalmine.com with its opal encyclopedia and chat forum, for the past 10 years. Peter has been visiting the Australian outback for the past 50 years and is an expert on the subject of opals, and the Australian outback. [known by Australians as 'the bush']

By Peter Brusaschi