Opal (African) and White Coral Bracelet with Silver Plated Magnet Clasp

$ 48.00

  • African Opal and White Coral Bracelet with Silver Plated Magnet Clasp
  • Approx. 7.5" Long
  • Bead size range 7-8mm
  • Strung on Soft Flex Wire
  • Handcrafted at Beads of Paradise NYC
  • Coral is created by millions of small organisms at the bottom of the ocean called polyps.  Each polyp builds up a limestone case around itself, which remains after it dies.  The casing becomes the basis for another polyp to build its home.  Slowly, after thousands of years, these casings build up into what we know as a coral reef.  Historically, material from these reefs were highly prized, and used to make jewelry and other ornamental objects.  However, because removing coral from these reefs is bad for ocean environments, there are strict regulations against removing coral from the ocean.  Most coral used today is grown in coral farms, rather than being taking from the ocean. Most precious coral is harvested in the Mediterranean Sea, especially in Sardinia. Deposits are also found in the Pacific, in Japan, Taiwan and Australia.  In contemporary stone lore, Coral is rumored to stimulate emotional healing and relieves stress.
  • The gemstone Opal is the official October birthstone. Opal is related to quartz, although it is much softer due to its high water content. As light enters the Opal, it bends around the edges of tiny particles of hydrated silica, "chips" of silicon and oxygen suspended in water within the stone. When it is diffracted, the light that is made up of all visible colors, each with its own wavelength, produces an entire rainbow of colors. They can internally display virtually any color, and Opals with the most “fire” are the most valuable. Diffraction can cause flashes of any color of the rainbow (opalescent).  Australia produces 97% of the world’s Opals, although the reddish-orange “fire” Opals are mined in Mexico. The name Opal was probably derived from Sanskrit "upala", meaning "valuable stone". This was most likely the root for the Greek term "opallios", which translates as "color change". In the days of Roman antiquity there existed a so-called "opalus", or a "stone from several elements". Common folklore rumors Opals may increase intuition, enhance clairvoyance, and reveal the truth.