Several years back I was given a stone that needed a new polish. The surface had become scratched and had what appeared to be cracks in it. It was about the size of my thumb print, oval and around a quarter of an inch thick. This kind of damage is normal for a stone that is worn frequently and/or an older stone. The cracks, however, were not a good sign in this particular stone for you can't easily polish those faults out and not loose the beauty of it. I worried over that and told the person who'd given it to us that it could be an issue, yet I still took it home to let our stone cutter tell me the exact same thing... the things I've learned over the years...

     It wasn't the surface looks that eventually grabbed my attention after that though. Even on the drive home, every light, every stop sign, I'd glance into the box, the stone's beauty staring at me all the way despite the surface damage. At home I couldn't resist and whipped out my best loupe to have another, closer gander.

     It was while I was studying it so closely that I began to realize I was feeling emotion I shouldn't have been feeling. After all, I'd had a good day that day, had picked up a beautiful stone and was currently ooohing and aahhhing over the marvelous thing. Setting it aside I moved away from it, took my attention away, to do something I don't remember now, and felt my mind settle
back into it's happy groove of the day. Not until after I returned to the stone did I realize what was happening.

     You have to realize, at this point in my life, working with the healing side of stones was still a learning thing, I was barely aware of my own personal stones, let alone picking up things from them. I knew they helped me and I loved them, however, nothing like this had happened to date. Since, is a different story for another day. :)

     This stone, despite it's damage, was utterly magnificent. Easily expected being it was a Black Opal with plenty of color despite it's dark surrounds. I'd never seen a Black Opal in person before, let alone held one in my hand. It was truly a thing of beauty. Definitely made by a more creative and loving artist than any other alive or passed. Even as I marveled... and did I... over this beautiful stone, my eye glued to the loupe once more, I felt the same intense emotion return and knock at my mental door, demanding attention again. So, okay, while enjoying my rare unexpected guest, I gave myself over to the emotions and quickly found my interest in the stone drawing back.

     That poor stone was just so bereft, lost and despairing. It was horrible. The emotions were just so deep and heartrending. And it wasn't just that. That stone was old, the sadness went on forever in it, as if it had born it for ages, gathering more and more of it. I'm talking the mother who lost not just her husband and five sons, but five daughters as well, something too horrible. Am I exaggerating? I might be a smidge, but only that wee bit. I wanted to cry great gulping tears. Not a good thing for such a good day!

     Setting the stone aside, I'd risen again and took myself away from it. I didn't get too close to it again the rest of the night. The next day it was returned to the gentleman who'd requested our attention, as it was, too damaged for the kind of care he'd wished. We could've re-cut the stone, but he'd wanted it the same and chose to seek different, imitation, means of breathing new life
into the old stone. Too bad I didn't know then that I probably could've cleared the sadness from the stone for it sure needed it.

     Much, much later, I learned many things about that kind of stone. You can look into the stone yourself for more depth, but I'll give you a shorten bit that fits with this story...

     The Black Opal is one of the more valuable of the Opal varieties. Most of it comes from New South Wales, Australia. No surprise there as most Opals come from there. However, they also are getting some lovelies out of Mexico and Ethiopia as well.

     The Black Opal can range from dark gray to black, a great background for the fire of colors that can be brought forth. Black Opal has traces of iron oxide and carbon elements that aren't found in your Common Opals, giving it unique traits belonging only to the Black Opals.

     The cracks or fixtures in this stone is called Crazing and is due to the Opal drying. This can make the stone worthless. If you already own the stone, however, there are a few techniques that can be done, but they will need to be done again as those techniques tend to wear over time. If you are going to buy an Opal, especially a Black Opal, be sure to get it from a good source as they
are treating these precious stones with different enhancing techniques without explaining the facts when they sell it. To read more about these issues, you may check my links below. I found some really nice articles for reference that won‘t bore you to tears.

     According to all the reading I've done on Opals, they help stimulate creativity and originality, great for artists of all kinds. These stones are porous, so be careful with them as they can be very sponge-like in their absorbing of chemicals (reread the part about crazing...) As such they are also said to pick up feelings such as this stone did, taking on the pain. It is suppose to replace it with healing light and I can only hope this stone did this for it's owner/owners.


     So, the stone I met was returned, unpolished, uncleared -sadly, but I was glad to have met it. Like some of the people we meet in our lives, they come and go, most quickly, leaving behind the memory, the lesson. Hopefully we will learn from these chance meetings. I have, over the years now, learned much. Next time
I meet a sad yet beautiful stone, I will give it some clearing and love so that when it's owner greets it again it will be with greater gladness, even if it can't be polished to it's former glory.

     By the way, your Opal, or any stone for that matter, doesn't have to be perfectly clear or fiery or luminescent to help you. Some flaws are not flaws at all but rather another mineral that has come along to give it uniqueness, something we like around here at The Hanging Pendant. Through my never-ending learning about stones, I find I like them best. Reminds me of friends, coworkers, customers and, of course, my crazy family.

     Blessings to you and yours. I hope you meet an interesting stone soon. Hugs! :)

Links...
A little more on black opals...