Perhaps the most remarkable thing about fire opals is the size of the raw stones. Some are as large as a baseball, which increases the variety of ways they can be utilized.
Their color is also distinctive. Fire opals have a warm, expressive orange color that varies from yellow to light red, and from time to time, a slight tinge of brown. They can also have a flashy play of color, something typical of opals.
The price of a fire opal is determined by three factors: the play of color, the body color and the level of transparency. The more transparency and ‘fire’ it has, and the more intense the deep red of its body color, the more valuable it will be.
Mexico provides gem collectors with the highest valued fire opals; they yield up intense red-orange fire opals that have a robust play of color. So popular is the fire opal in Mexico that it has become their national gemstone.
Fire opals are said to appeal to people who are active and who bear a positive approach to life. Perhaps it is their fiery color that helps their owners experience the beauty of life and discover joyfulness in daily living.
Fire Opal
