Rains Down in Africa Opal Ring

Rains down in Africa

Shower her with affection with a spectacular Ethiopian opal

The rains in Africa create some of the most beautiful rainbows in the world...they just happen to be underground.

There’s more than one legend about how an opal is formed. After all, a gem this magnificent deserves a fantastical explanation. The Greeks believed the radiant stones were tears of joy, which fell to earth after being shed by Zeus in heaven. The Ancient Romans claimed opals were the original gemstone from which all others are descended. The Aboriginal people of Australia hold that the great Creator descended to Earth to spread a message of peace, and with every footstep deposited tiny pieces of rainbow in the ground. The truth about opals however, is more scientific, but no less magical.

An opal is formed when a tiny drop of water combines with silica, and then, finds a perfectly sized gap deep below ground to settle. Over millions of years, that perfect little drop grows into an opal. 

The ring you see here features a nearly 2-carat Ethiopian opal. Ethiopian opals are known for their spectacular colorplay–– all it takes is a little bit of light to set off the rainbow of colors within. Rounds of rosy pink tourmaline and sparkling white stones make the most of the opal’s magic from a setting of warm rose gold-finished sterling silver.

Opals are incredibly unique and unlike any other gem, and, with the increasing scarcity of gem-quality opals, it may soon become the most sought-after and precious of all gems. The price and value of opals are climbing every year, and no one knows how long deposits will last. You simply won’t find a better price for a gem-quality opal than what you see here, because at Stauer you can count on a whole lot of savings at the end of this rainbow.