Opals and Onyx

Tomorrow, I am releasing the limited edition

opals and onyx collection

showstopping gemstones for every occasion

Opals and onyx are two of the most popular ever-lasting gemstones in the jewelry market.  But what are they ... really?  In a previous post on August 20, I talked about flint and chert.  Today, you will discover that opal, onyx, chert, flint, chalcedony ... they are all essentially variations on the same thing - microcrystalline grains of silica.

Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony.  The bands are created by alternating layers of microcrystalline quartz and moganite, which is essentially quartz with a different crystal structure.  Sardonyx is a variety of onyx with bands of quartz and sard, another variety of chalcedony.  (Gemstone manufactures seem to try to make their products stand out by giving different names to essentially the same minerals).  Utah blue and orange sardonyx are examples.

Utah Sardonyx collected near Nephi, Utah

Calcite onyx is actually not onyx at all.  Calcite onyx, or cave onyx, is banded layers of calcite that form from cave formations such as stalagtites and stalagmites.  It forms much the same way, with one little layer at a time slowly precipitated.  But it is calcite instead of quartz.  Honey onyx and the most popular flowering tube onyx are examples.

Flowering Tube Onyx collected near Nephi, Utah

Cave Formations at Ruby Falls, Tennesee

Opal is the least like all the other minerals - onyx, chert, flint, and chalcedony.  It is still silica, but in opal, the silica does not form crystals of quartz.  It is a hydrated, amorphous silica "ooze".  Most often, opal is associated with volcanic activity.  Silica-rich fluids from magma flow into the surrounding rock, where the opal is precipitated in pockets and layers in the rock.  The internal structure of the silica ooze makes it refract light, which gives opals their most-sought after feature - sparkle.

There are two types of opal - common opal and precious opal.  I personally feel these names do not do them justice because "common" opal is just as amazing as precious opal.  Precious opal tends to show a play of colors and multi-color sparkle and shimmer that dances in the light.  Common opal tends to be translucent and often a single solid color, or bands of colors.

Examples of common opal include Utah bacon opal and Peruvian pink and blue opal.

Utah Bacon Opal collected near Milford, Utah

Examples of precious opal include the Honduran black matrix opal and koroit boulder opal.

Honduran Black Matrix Opal

All of these stones make beautiful cabs and stunning jewelry perfect for that special occasion or to make every day feel special.

Cabochon from Bacon Opal

Cabochon from Koroit Boulder Opal

Find the Opal and Onyx Collection at www.rubymountain5rocks.com.  Don't forget, join Club Ruby for an instant 20% discount!

Dr. Janet Bertog, owner Ruby Mountain5 Rocks

Hurricane Harvey

Most people are fully aware of the impact that hurricane Harvey has had on Houston and the surrounding areas.  This was the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005, and it is easy to forget about the devastation these things can cause, especially after 12 years of feeling "safe".  When it made landfall, it was a category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 130 mph.  This was the beginning of days of torment.  Hurricane Harvey was in no hurry to leave Texas, and stalled for two days just inland, with continued heavy rainfall.

In reality, although the devastation is enoromous, the people were "lucky".  There were 60 confirmed deaths, in comparison to approximately 1500 (as many as 1800) deaths from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Nevertheless, Hurricane Harvey was catastrophic.

And now, only days after the remnants of Hurricane Harvey made its way across the eastern United States, we are poised for another hurricane, Hurricane Irma is headed toward the Carribean and is expected to impact the east coast next week.

While people are picking up the pieces from this hurricane and trying to put their lives back together, some people lost very important members of their families.  While rescuers were able to evacuate many people, they could not take pets with them.  Pets all over the region are abandoned, lost, confused and scared.  Rescue agencies all over the country have mobilized to help get these pets back to their families.

In Ohio, where I live, Silver Linings of Ohio is teaming up with other rescue agencies in Ohio to bring pets that were in rescues and shelters in Houston to Ohio for foster and adoption.  Meanwhile, Best Friends Animal Society is working to house the lost pets and help them find their families again.  I am sure there are agencies in your state doing the same things.

During this time, I will be donating 15% of my sales to Silver Linings of Ohio to help them bring the animals to Ohio, house, feed, and medicate them, and help them find loving homes.

Helping shelter pets in the wake of Hurricane Harvey

Janet Bertog,

owner of Ruby Mountain5 Rocks

owner of Clidastes Stones

My assistants ... Reddie and Angus (my senior rescue dogs)