Opals & Concepts

I've spent the past day working on OPALS....yes I am fascinated with opal. Apparently many others are/have been as well. Here are some interesting facts I learned in my research about this beautiful stone:

•Opals are set in the crown jewels of France.
•During ancient times, opal symbolized faithfulness and confidence.
•To Romans, opal symbolized hope and purity.
•To Greeks, opal symbolized foresight and prophecy.
•The Arabs believed opal fell from heaven in flashes of lightning.
•Shakespeare referred to opal as the "Queen of Gems" in Twelfth Night.
•In Sir Walter Scott's novel Ann of Geierstein, the novel's heroine owned an opal that had her life force caught inside. It burned fiery red when she was angry. The opal's fire extinguished and turned ashen gray upon her death.
•Napoleon gave Josephine an opal named "The Burning of Troy" as a symbol of his love.

I've created a new "concept design". Like the One Powerful Chick Beads, the Joy of Life Bead/Pendant™ design was developed based on a concept. All concept pieces I create are "recreatable" in different colors or shades, while using the same basic design, which is built around a meaning of something in life which I find useful or helpful at this time in my life. I believe if I'm going through something, others out there are too.

In addition to the Joy of Life beads, I've also been working on creating faux opal stones and cabs which will go into settings I already have here. The designers who purchase them can then incorporate those settings into their own designs. I'm still working on some stone formulations and coloring, but I'll share those when they are ready to view.

Opal has always been a favorite stone for me because of the brilliance of rainbow coloring and reflectiveness. I also love aurora borealis rhinestones because of their same effect. I learned this today - Opal was considered to be the gem of inspiration for artists and those in love. - perhaps because I am an artist, and I am in love with what I do and many aspects of life, that is why I'm attracted to this particular stone.