When you think of opals, you often think of pearly whites and blue-greens, shimmering in different lights.
However, there are different opals in existence, including the beautiful orange coloured fire opal. It is a translucent opal, and the warm colours range from yellow through orange to red. The most common source of this opal is in Querétaro, Mexico and these opals are typically called Mexican Fire Opals.
They tend to have one body colour, are a lighter weight than other opals, have no flashes of light typical to other opals and it is the only natural opal that is faceted.
Fire opals are created from fire, and in Mexico it is assumed they formed in the depths of volcanoes. They are created when water enters the silica rich lava, filling the hollow sections. Under pressure from the volcano, the water becomes trapped and eventually these opals would be created.
They were worn by Aztecs back in 850 A.D. and they have been found in burial sites, where they were used to create jewellery and artwork.
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