****MUST LIVE IN WATER*** extremely rare Ethiopian water opal, mined straight from Ethiopia!
The ancient Greeks thought the stone could give people the gift of prophecy and protect them from disease. Some metaphysical thought includes the idea that wearing opal can make you unobtrusive or unnoticeable, pulling all of a person’s human sparkle into the fiery colors of the stone. While some people believe it is unlucky for people not born in October to wear opal, the gemstone has actually long been valued as a stone of luck and magic--as well as love and passion.
Ethiopian opal is believed to be an emotional intensifier, enhancing the true nature of those who wear it. Some say it strengthens the will to live and shields the wearer against negativity, burning off karma. Practitioners of energy work say it activates the base and sacral chakras, although other base colors of this opal can be used with corresponding chakras if needed.
Most opals are sedimentary in nature--that is, they are created from the layers laid down by ancient waterways. Ethiopian opals, however, are hydrophane opals, created as a result of volcanic activity, forming in nodules within the volcanic ash in stratum between rhyolite layers.
"Hydrophane" comes from the Greek words meaning "water-loving," and describes how these opals tend to absorb water. Water absorption can alter the appearance of Ethiopian opal, changing the stone from opaque or semi-translucent to highly translucent and almost transparent!
The high cost and fragility of sedimentary opals mean the stone is rarely faceted. The significantly lower price and tougher structure of hydrophane Ethiopian opal rough has made it more likely for gem-cutters to experiment with faceting and carving the stone.