Referred To As The Queen Of Gemstones

    

     At least that's how Shakespeare described an Opal.  A birthstone for October.

     Opals usually contain 4 to 9 percent water, but some may contain up to 30 percent water.  They're formed from lumps of silica and are actually silicon dioxide and water.  The water in the stone cannot escape unless the opal is heated to an extreme temperature.

     They are more than 60 million years old and typically found where hot springs once flowed.  Making them sedimentary in origin.  Each tiny sphere of silica within an opal refracts a single pure spectral color depending on the size and spacing of the sphere.  Opals have an extraordinary ability to refract light. 

 

     Opals were set in the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor and in the crown jewels of France.  It has been said that Cleopatra wore an opal to attract the gaze of Mark Anthony.   Ancient Aztecs mined for Opals in Central and South America.  They are considered to be very magical, possessing healing powers.  That explains why they are the stone of choice for witches.  Wearing a black opal near your heart is said to ward off evil.  Black opals are only found in Australia.  90% of gem quality opals are from Southern Australia.  

     When buying an opal you should consider the color of its "fire", intensity of its "sparkle" and the rarity of the color.  High quality opals can bring as much as $80,000 per carat, making them more valuable than diamonds.

Taxco History

After the revolution of 1910, Mexican art flourished.  The epicenter of this artistic renaissance was a quaint mountain village called Taxco, located in the region of Guerrero.  A North American architect by the name of William Spratling is credited with shaping and influencing this celebration of Mexican culture, specifically in the silver medium.

Along with Spratling's closest friends and some of Mexico's most gifted artisans, Taxco eventually became known as the silver capital of the world.  It offered the most unique and culturally authentic, artistic jewelry that could not be found anywhere else in the world and continues to this day.

Each year in November, Taxco is the site of "La Feria De La Plata", or the "World Silver Fair".  It showcases the work of new artisans as well as being a celebration of Mexican culture.  Taxco is a charming town with small cobble stone streets that wind around the mountain side.  A magical place full of history and rich in culture. 

Synthetic ? Real or Imitation

     The Egyptians made glass imitations endowing them with the same supernatural power as the real thing.  A glass imitation gemstone, paste, was used from the 13th century through the 17th.  Joseph Strass, in the 18th century, discovered brilliance increased in glass when a high percentage of lead was added to it.  This created more imitations.  A process for making synthetic rubies had been discovered in the early 19th century.  Almost 100 years went by before they were accepted for use in jewelry.

  
     Physically, chemically and optically, synthetic stones are the same as the natural.  They are not imitations.  Heat and pressure are used to speed up the process that takes nature 1000s of years.  Rubies were more expensive than the natural ones when first synthesized in the 18th century.  August Verneuil, in 1910, came up with an idea which produced stones at a much lower cost by using a smeltering torch.  They were still so highly regarded that 1920 jewelers often set them in 18K gold.

     Synthetic spinels came on the market in 1926.  Synthetic emeralds came in the early 1940s.  Synthetic star sapphires and rubies in 1947, were not far behind.  The process for making synthetic diamonds was perfected in 1955.  Diamonds used for industrial purposes to this day are mostly synthetic.
     Gem quality synthetic diamonds have been possible since the 1970s and they are more valuable than the natural ones.  Cubic zirconium (CZs) are synthetic stones but they are not synthetic diamonds.