Did you know that Opals have an interesting feature of becoming transparent when submerged in water? "Opals" come from the Sanskrit word upala, meaning "precious stone". These are famous for their vibrant "play of color" that makes them unique. These gemstones can be found globally, but some mining areas produce unique and amazing variations. One remarkable African source is Ethiopia, renowned for its colorful Ethiopian Opals, commonly referred to as Welo Opals.
While Australia owns the title of the "Opal capital of the world", discoveries of Ethiopian Opals have moved this title close behind. Nearly 95% of Opals originate from Australian mines, still the recent discoveries of Ethiopian Opals have made this African region a strong competitor in terms of both production and quality. One main difference between an Australian Opal and an Ethiopian Opal is that Ethiopian Opals are mainly large, rare, and less costly as compared to Australian Opals. Also, an Ethiopian black Opal has even gained fame due to its appearance in the 2019 film "Uncut Gems".
Opal is one of the official birthstones for October. You may have heard tales about the "Opal curse" or simply admired the stone for its kaleidoscopic colors, but there's a lot more to learn about Ethiopian Opals. In this blog, we will learn about the physical and spiritual properties of an Ethiopian Opal, along with the history and symbolism behind these extraordinary gems.
What is Ethiopian Opal?
Ethiopian Welo Opal is a relatively recent discovery of Opal, discovered in the mountainous region of northern Ethiopia, particularly in the Wollo Province. However, the question is, what is the difference between an Opal and an Ethiopian Opal? Although Ethiopian Opals are still opals, having the same ranking of 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs mineral hardness scale, there are several other types of Opals, with the main categories being precious and common.
Precious Opals are celebrated for their captivating play of color, while common opals lack this color play. Ethiopian Opals are often valued for their vibrant play of color, showcasing numerous hues and patterns. One unique characteristic of an Ethiopian Opal is that they are hydrophane in nature, which means that their porous surface can absorb water. This feature alters their apperance, size, and stability when submerged. These stones can range from opaque to translucent and even transform to transparent when wet.
When it comes to color, Ethiopian Opals come in various varieties, ranging from solid colors like black, pink, or blue to rainbows of hues on different body tones. That being said, let us now learn about the types of Ethiopian Opal.
Meaning and Symbolism of Ethiopian Opal
Ethiopian Opals symbolize hope, luck, and innocence, while also representing enthusiasm and creativity. Specifically, Ethiopian fire opals are associated with passion, warmth, and love, acting as a symbol of loyalty and friendship when given as a gift.
Given Ethiopia's rich cultural history, called the "land of origins". Ethiopia is where coffee was first discovered and the home to the only African nation with its own writing system. In various cultures, these gemstones have been adopted by their own Ethiopian opal spiritual meanings: for example, Arabic folklore tells of Opals descending from the sky through flashes of lightning, while the Aztecs used opals as protection against negative forces like the evil eye.
Types of Ethiopian Opal
An Ethiopian Opal exhibits unique "play-of-colors", but they differ in body tones. The three primary deposits produce noticeable varieties, including:
- Precious Fire Opal: These are translucent, abundant Opals from the Wollo Province, exhibiting red, orange, or yellow body color of fire opals, and play of color indicating precious opal, showing flashes of vibrant purple and green hues.
- Black Opal: Rare varieties, found in the Stayish mine of the Wollo Province, are naturally black and not hydrophane, although many Ethiopian Opals undergo treatment to appear black.
- White Precious Opal: With white body color and a bright color play, these opals are typically more stable than the Shewa Opals and are most commonly found near the Wegel Tena.
- Shewa or Mezezo Opal: First Ethiopian specimens discovered in 1994 in the Shewa province, these Opals typically have reddish-brown, orange, or chocolate brown colors, but they may develop crazing, which is a type of damage caused by drying that leads to web-like cracks.
These varieties were just a glimpse of the diversity found in an Ethiopian Opal, as it can be a great rival of the Australian Opals in terms of body colors and patterns.
Properties of Ethiopian Opal Gemstone
Apart from its physical beauty, Ethiopian Opals hold some metaphysical properties that have fascinated humans for centuries. Unlike Australian Opals, which are formed deep underground, Ethiopian Opals emerge from volcanic activities high up in the mountains, coming out as nobby-formed (lump-shaped balls) rather than seam-formed like several Opals. The grading of these opals can be complex because this stone is new to the gemstone industry, but they are typically evaluated based on four main criteria:
Pattern
Ethiopian Opals are famous for their distinct pattern, including Welo Broad Flash to Fire Cloud. The most longed-for pattern is the honeycomb pattern that is exclusive to Ethiopian Opals. Where common opals feature a line with web-like inclusions, stones with honeycomb patterns are usually cut into cabochons.
Brightness
This term refers to a stone's "fire", showcasing colorful flashes resulting from light dispersion. The best Ethiopian Opals show a unique 3-dimensional effect, often highlighted color-wise by blue and green flashes, with occasionally rare red. Generally, Opals with brighter and more saturated fire fetch higher prices.
Treatments
A good amount of Ethiopian Opals undergo treatments. The three common methods include sugar-acid treatment, smoke treatment, and dyeing to upgrade their apperance. The sugar-acid treatment darkens the body tone and intensifies the color play's brightness, and the smoke treatment produces the same results, but this treatment makes it difficult to detect the Opal, while dyeing often results in vibrant hues that are not found naturally, typically seen on the bright purple or pink Ethiopian Opals.
Color
Ethiopian Opals can present a wide range of colors, including white, black, red, pink, orange, blue, or brown, depending on their geographical origin. Colorless crystal opals originate from the Wegel Tena mine. The body tone plays an important role in determining the stone's brightness and patterns; however, it does not affect Ethiopian Opals' value.
Metaphysical and Healing Properties of Ethiopian Opals
The physical properties of an Ethiopian Opal closely parallel its reputed healing abilities, mainly in its hydrophane quality and color flashes. Their hydrophane quality is believed to help with dehydration, water retention, and fatigue, while also improving eye, hair, and skin health. Emotionally, Ethiopian Opals are thought to support anyone dealing with indecision, communication, or pessimism by reminding you to embrace personal growth and creative pursuits. Spiritually, Ethiopian Opal is said to benefit by promoting purification, encouraging you to feel more content. An empowering affirmation to meditate on with an Ethiopian Opal is: "I am cleansed of the past and ready for the future".
Ethiopian Opal Chakra Healing
One of the major Ethiopian Opal benefits is said to be Chakra healing. In Chakra healing, Ethiopian Opals are said to connect with the crown chakra, located above the head and associated with self-realization and spirituality. A blocked crown chakra is believed to lead to feelings of instability and resistance to personal growth. Ethiopian opals are thought to help in opening the chakra, inviting wisdom and a deeper spiritual connection with the universe.
The Interesting History of Ethiopian Opal
The modern discovery of Ethiopian Opals has occurred only over the last few decades, but traces of the oldest Opals found in a Kenyan cave suggest their existence dates back to roughly 4000 BC, with early humans using these opals to make tools, as believed by the Anthropologists. Interestingly, the term "Opal" comes from the ancient Sanskrit "Upala", meaning "precious stone", and later Greek "Opallios", meaning "to see a change in color".
In 1994, miners uncovered the first Ethiopian Opal deposit in the Shewa province, having opals within volcanic rock nodules that showed brown, reddish-brown, or orange tones, but they were prone to crazing. By 2008, miners found a second deposit in the Wollo Province near Wegel Tena, which was more durable as compared to Shewa Opals and came in various types, such as white, crystal, fire, and the occasional black Opals, leading to the trade name "Welo Opal".
The last significant discovery occurred in 2013 at the Stayish mine, also in the Wollo Province, primarily producing black or dark grey opals. The discoveries in the Wegel Tena are reputed for their white and crystal opals, while Stayish mines are recognized for their black opals. Notably, Ethiopian Opals often reflect a strong play of color as compared to Australian Opals, and the mining is made easier by horizontal tunneling rather than vertical shafts.
Enchanted by Ethiopian Opal
Whether your preference leans towards black, white, or fire opal, Ethiopian Opals offers an amazing selection for everything you desire. With their rich history and exceptional healing properties, wearing an Ethiopian Opal as a ring or any other piece of jewelry can serve as a beautiful way to celebrate your October birthday or simply showcase your unique style.
