Magnificent Australian boulder opal weighing
19.13 carats set in a ring of 18 karat gold with
52 genuine round, fully-cut diamonds with a
total weight of 2.40 carats, and with 24 genuine
baguette diamonds with a total weight of 3.90
carats.
Radiating a colorful fire from deep within, the
opal has been prized since antiquity. Within its
depths one bees the rich variety of colors for
which other gems are famed: the purple of
amethyst, the red of ruby, the sea green of
emerald, as well as gold and silver. The matrix
for these sparks ranges in hue from milky white,
to bright blue, to black. Mines in Hungary have
produced fine opals since the Middle Ages, but
the best modern source for the gem is
considered to be Australia. The name of the gem
is said to derive from the word Ophthalmius,
pertaining to the eye, and the stone is valued for
its ability to avert evil. In the east, opals are
much sought after as amulets to protect the
wearer from disease. The stone is also said to
improve the eyesight. Any person gazing upon
this brilliant gem will be rewarded with beauty.
Perhaps no gem delights the senses in quite the
same way as the diamond, which burns with a
deep internal fire. Crystalized carbon, formed
under tremendous pressure over millennia, the
diamond is famed for its everlasting hardness.
Diamonds are normally colorless, but are also
found in shades including yellow, pink, and blue.
In Eastern belief, the diamond is said to enhance
the full spectrum of energies in the body, mind
and spirit.
Within the circle of gems, the diamond defines
the standards of beauty, rarity, and
preciousness.
- (FJ.4335)
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