Jewelry
A Gem So Unique, Every Piece of Jewelry Is One of a Kind
Opals are finding their way to the center of many designers’ new collections.
Full of fiery inner life and ever-changing colors, opals are singular among gemstones: Unlike sapphires and other crystalline gems, the stone is opaque, and its tiny specks of silica produce kaleidoscopic hues.
Opals “produce brilliant streaks of iridescent color when turned in the light,” says jeweler Gurhan Orhan. The optical effect is “created when light passes through microscopic spheres of silica and diffracts to break up into the colors of the spectrum.” Each stone has its own pattern; no two are alike. That’s another part of their appeal—and why many of our selections here are one of a kind.