Opal Stone

Opal is a semi-precious stone which belongs to the silicate mineral family, found in many different hues like black, blue, white, green, and orange. Above its aesthetic charm, it is believed to attract financial prosperity, physical well-being and social elevation.

As per Vedic astrology, the ruling planet of Opal stone is Venus, also known as Sukr Grah, the planet of beauty, charm and love. An astrological alternative for diamonds, Opal is recommended to wear when one wants to instil these properties and blessings of Venus in their life. Experts suggest people born under Tula (Libra) and Vrishabha (Taurus) Rashi can also benefit from it.

An October birthstone, it is also known as the “Dudhiya Pathar” in Hindi and “Opala” in Sanskrit.

Physical Properties of Opal Stone

Composition - It is a form of silica with the chemical formula SiO2·nH2O

Hardness - Between 5.5 to 6.5 on Moh’s scale.

Refractive Index - 1.450 (+0.020, −0.080)

Specific Gravity - 2.15 (+0.08, −0.90)

Types of Opal Gemstone

Australian Opal - Australian Opal mines are famous for producing this fine variety of opal gems which are known for their intense hues, tantalizing patterns and dynamic play-of-colour effect.

Black Opal - Often found in darker shades like black, blue or greyish-black, these gems are known for their dark body colour and healing properties.

Fire Opal - Fire opal is known so because of the fiery colours it is found in like red, orange and yellow.

Ethiopian Opal - They are a new type, found in the northern Ethiopia region, highly popular for their magnificent beauty and affordable prices.

Blue Opal - Translucent to opaque in appearance, found in shades of blue, it is known for its charm and coolness.

Boulder Opal - These stones contain ironstone traces and come in a dark hue, known for their durability, and play of colour.

White Opal - White Opals, the astrological substitutes for diamonds or Heera, exhibit a unique kaleidoscopic play of colour on a white background solid stone hue.

Benefits of Opal Stone(Moti)

With the blessings of Venus, the Opal’s various metaphysical and healing properties will benefit you in the following ways:-

Emotional Well-being - Calming the turbulent feelings of stress, worry and anxiety within a person, the stone will help instil emotional balance.

Increases Creativity - It will increase creativity, expand your mind, inspire you and increase your imagination powers.

Strengthen Relationships - Fostering love and harmony, the opal stone acts as a connection catalyst. It nurtures desire and affection in your life as well as increases harmony and mutual understanding.

Personal Growth - As a person, you will find yourself more mentally clear, and healed. The gem will enhance your self-confidence, and give you the strength to face life’s challenges, assisting you while making bold decisions.

Enhances Wisdom - Strengthening your inner wisdom and boosting intuition powers, will help you with spiritual growth as well, hence the gem is highly used during meditation practices for rejuvenation.

Protects from Harm - Ancient people believed that the opal gems could protect a person from negativity of all types like evil forces, black magic, etc. It creates a positive shield around the wearer that increases positivity in your life.

Healing Properties - The gem can boost your memory power, purify your blood, boost the strength of your immunity system, improve the production of insulin, provide relief from fever, and cure any ailments related to the eye, skin, hair and nail.

Who Should Wear Opal Gemstone?(Moti)?

The beauty of the opals is charming and eye-catching, which is why they are often used to make jewellery. Wearing opal jewellery purely for beauty purposes requires no consultation. However, if you are wearing it to gain its astrological benefits, you must make sure that it is suitable for you to wear.

Astrologically, Opal’s ruling planet is Venus, hence, people who want to gain the blessings of the Sukr Grah should be wearing this gem. If Venus is present in a house in your birth chart where it is giving you negative energies, you should wear this gem to eliminate them. It will counteract the harmful effects of the planet Venus, and bring positivity to you.

Indeed, Libra and Taurus zodiac signs can wear an opal. Capricorn, Aquarius, Gemini, and Virgo ascendants can also wear it although, they must ask an astrologer if it is friendly with their horoscope.

Please consult with an astrologer and get your birth chart checked to ensure that the gem is appropriate for you to wear otherwise you may face its side effects.

How to Wear Opal Stone?

To gain all the benefits and blessings of its planet, you should perform the Vedic pooja to activate and energize the gem. The process will remove all the negative energies it might contain before it reaches you and will link all its energies to you.

Here is the complete procedure and all the points essential that you should know to perform the pooja.

Best Day & Time - The best time to wear it is during the early morning hours of a Friday morning of Shukla Paksha, between 06:00 - 07:00 a.m.

Form - Wear it in such a form that it is always in contact with you so that the energies of the gem are always in contact with you, such as an opal ring, pendant or bracelet.

Metal to wear in - You should wear it in Gold, though, platinum, silver and Panchdhatu can also be used.

Ideal weight - The ideal weight of the stone will be 1/12th of your body weight.

Which finger to wear the opal stone in? - Middle finger of the working hand.

Purification Process - Keep your stone or opal jewellery in a bowl and fill it with Panchamrit or Gangajal with a few tulsi leaves. Leave it for a few minutes, then rinse it and pat it dry.

To Wear - The first step of the process is purification, once you cleanse your gem, sit with it in your temple, light some incense sticks, and with devotion pray to god. Chant the mantra, “Om Shukraya Namah" 108 times, asking for the blessings of Lord Sukr and wear it while reciting the mantra for the last time.

Opal is a delicate and charming gemstone that needs care and cleaning to preserve its beauty. You should follow the tips mentioned below to take better care of your jewel if you want it to last long:-

• Never let the stones come in contact with any harsh chemicals like cleaning agents or detergents, hence you should always remove your jewellery before cleaning, washing or gardening.
• Never clean your stones with any type of soap or detergent. Avoid using natural substances as well like vinegar or baking soda. It might not show any discolouration in the first few washes but the color will fade after a few washes.
• Avoid wearing it while swimming or playing, as well as while cooking. Sudden temperature changes or extreme cold or heat can also badly affect the stone.
• While storing your jewellery, keep it in a different storage box, wrapped up nicely in soft cloth or cotton. Even if you have multiple Opal stone jewellery, keep them in different boxes since their metal can scratch the gems.
• While cleaning, never soak your opals because they are porous.
• Never expose them to any low-humidity settings.
• Make sure every once in a while that the setting of your jewellery is intact.
• Avoid getting them in contact with direct sunlight as it can wear them out.
• Keep them away from acids or oils. Also, ensure their safety, and do not drop them or let them get in contact with a sudden force or blow.

Cleaning

To clean your opal jewellery, you can use normal water mixed with mild soap. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any dirt and residue, then instantly wash with clean water and pat dry with a clean soft cloth. Let it dry completely before wearing or storing them again.

Note - Please do the cleaning in a bowl or a plate instead of a sink so that there is no risk of your gemstones slipping.

Opal Stone Price

The price of opal stone in India starts from INR 500 to INR 30,000 per carat, based on its quality and origin. The Quality factors include the 4Cs which are Colour, Carat, Cut and Clarity. Other than these, the treatment process also affects the Opal Ratna price.

Cut - A well-cut and fashioned gemstone cut with precision needs high skill as it will display the desirable colour, hence, the price of a highly accurate cut will be higher. Normally, they are cut in oval, round, or free-form cabochon shapes.

Colour - Opals are found in several hues like black, orange, red, green, purple etc., each colour exhibiting its uniqueness. Hence, according to the rarity of hue and intensity, along with the patterns on the surface, the amount of gem increases or decreases.

Weight - Gems of larger weights are very rarely found, therefore, mostly they sell at higher prices, although the smaller ones of premium quality can sell at even more costs.

Clarity - The appearance of the stone, or the flaws in it determines the clarity. The more devoid a gem of flaws or visible inclusions, the more its value.

Origin - Some sources of opal are known in history for producing the best quality gems naturally, hence because of their reputation, they sell at higher prices like Australian Opal and Ethiopian Opal.

Treatment Processes - Most stones are treated to enhance their clarity and colour, although people prefer the original ones, which cost more.

There are a few other factors that can slightly affect the cost of the opal stone:

Market Demand & Rarity - The demand in the market and supply chain as well as the rarity, which is a unique characteristic, can also affect the figures.

Type - There are many varieties of opal stone, some more rare and popular than others, hence commanding higher sums. You can check the prices of different types here:-

Quality of Opal Gemstone

The Quality of a stone which depends on several factors highly decides its price, hence before purchasing, you should know what to see while looking for the premium standard opal. These aspects that you should keep in mind are Cut, Color, Clarity, etc.

Colour: Opal stones show a vivid display of colours, both background solid hues and shades on the surface. The more intense the tone of the hue, and uniform distribution, the higher it is class-wise. The original shades of the gem are more loved and popular as colour treatment can only dull their natural brilliance.

Clarity: Often gems have inclusions or flaws which reduce their beauty, hence the ones with minimal flaws or almost invisible inclusions are considered to be of good grade, increasing their value.

Cut: The cut made with precision magnifies the beauty and makes them ready to be mounted in a jewellery piece. A bad cut can damage the stone and reduce its shine as well as affect its colour, which is why cutting is an important factor you should consider.

Origin: The stone comes from mines known worldwide for producing good-quality Opals, boasting unique characteristics distinctive to each region and holding their advantages, hence origin is also a determining aspect.

Q. Is there any difference between Australian and Ethiopian opal ?

Ans. Yes, Australian and Ethiopian Opals are two different varieties of Opal stones mined from two different regions and have distinctive characteristics. Australian Opals come in a rich bright hue with colorful fire flashes that remain forever. In contrast, the firebase in Ethiopian opals is slightly unstable and comparatively less intense.
As Ethiopian Opals are hydrophane in nature, they absorb moisture and lose their fire quickly during humid periods. Therefore, it is always suggested to buy the best quality Australian opals to maintain the charm and ensure the maximum astrological benefits.

Q. What is the difference between an Opal with Fire and an Opal with double-side fire ?

Ans. In general, Opals are categorized on the basis of the intensity and extent of fire they hold. A double-sided opal has a strong fire extending throughout its surface and is visible from both the side and all angles. An opal with fire exhibits more prominent play-of-colours on the upper surface and less on the inner surface.
However, both these variants of opal are considered worthy in the astrological drive, but as the lower side of any gem directly touches the wearer’s skin; an opal with double side fire is considered better.

Q. Does the colour of fire have any planetary influence ?

Ans. The Opal stone, as per astrology, is the gemstone of the planet Venus. According to astrologers, the colour & intensity of the fire affect the metaphysical attributes of an opal gemstone. The colour of fire shows dominance in the flashes and is more likely to deliver benefits of the associated planet.

Q. What are the benefits of opal stone ?

Ans. The major opal stone benefits are as follows:-

• It will boost your immunity system to help you fight all major infections.
• The gem will improve blood circulation and will purify it as well.
• Your memory power will be enhanced.
• Women will get relief from PMS problems.
• Protect you from all negative energies.
• Bring you luck and prosperity.

Q. Is opal a good luck stone ?

Ans. Yes, as per Vedic astrology, the Opal is a stone of luck and charm. It will bring you many benefits due to its metaphysical properties. Even ancient Greeks and Romans believed in the positive energies of the gem.

Q. How much is an opal worth ?

Ans. Opal gemstone price ranges between $2000-3000 per carat strongly depending on factors like Cut, weight, colour, clarity, and origin.

Q. Is opal a real crystal? ?

Ans. One of the most seamless ways to find whether your opal gemstone is real or fake is to check its material. An opal stone is not real if it is made up of resin, plastic, or glass. An unrivalled quality opal stone has a colour uniformly distributed over the entire stone and it's one of the indicators of authenticity.

Q. What are the opal stone benefits for Libra ?

Ans. People with the Zodiac sign Libra can benefit greatly physically and in the domain of love. After wearing the opal stone, people with the Libra Zodiac sign can witness an upsurge in their confidence to express love and compassion freely.

Q. What are the opal stone benefits for Aries ?

Ans. People with Aries Zodiac signs will benefit in terms of financial condition. The gem will attract luck into their life and amplify wealth by leaps and bounds. Moreover, it also boosts the fertility rate.

Q. What are the opal stone benefits for Cancer ?

Ans. People with Cancer Zodiac can benefit greatly from Opal stone as it helps in treating depression, despair, and agony. In addition to that, the gemstone is also known to boost creativity and rectify sleep-related disorders.

Q. What are the opal stone benefits for Capricorn ?

Ans. People of the Capricorn Zodiac sign can wear opal gemstones to improve their social status and bring due recognition. Also, people who are in the fields of import export, and travel must wear the opal stone for growth and success.

Q. What are the Astrological Benefits of Opal Stone ?

Ans. Astrological Benefits of Opal Gemstones are as follows:-

• It will provide you with mental balance and maintain your emotional well-being.
• The gem will clarify your mindset, and help you make better judgements.
• Your intuition powers will enhance and it will guide you on the right path.
• It will increase harmony in your relationships, light up the charm and help you deepen your bonds.
• If the haunting memories and pain of the past are still bugging you, opal stone will give you relief by exterminating those memories from your mind.
• People with weak eyesight and hair fall problems can also embrace opal stone to recuperate eye signs and dwindle hair fall problems.