The Jewelbox’s 2025 Opal Showcase opens in our Ithaca gallery on October 1st. This will be a month-long showcase with a special sale planned:

October 10 & October 11

“Opal” comes from the Sanskrit word upala, which means “precious stone.” The word was adopted in Latin during Roman times as opalus. In Greek Mythology, opals were said to be the tears of Zeus, the God of Lightning. They formed when, after winning a battle against the Titans, he shed tears of joy which turned to opal as they landed upon Earth.

In truth, opals form when seasonal rains drench dry ground in regions containing volcanic rock. The rain soaked deep into underground rock layers, carrying dissolved silica downward. Over the course of many dry seasons, most of the water evaporated, leaving deposits of solid silica in the cracks and between the layers of underground sedimentary rock. The silica deposits formed opal. Opals are formed all over the world, in many types of environments.

Opal consists of tiny silica spheres tightly packed together; the voids or spaces between the spheres contain air or water. The play-of-color in gem, or “precious,” opal is due to the orderly arrangement of these spheres acting like a diffraction grating, breaking visible light in to separate colors. Opals, common or precious, are typically cut “en cabochon” or polished free-form to best show the play-of-colors.

The Jewelbox would like to highlight in our showcase different types of opals, differentiated not only by mine but also by cultural delineations, which lends to an appreciation of all opals—not only the most “precious.” We will be highlighting and educating on opals from: Australia, Ethiopia, Peru, Mexico, Indonesia, and more.