The fire opal was named for its color. The color itself comes from fine traces of iron oxide. With a hardness between 6 and 6.5 on the Moh’s scale, fire opal requires a protective setting, when worn as a ring stone.

The warm fiery orange-red has a positive effect on the mind. It conveys a sensation of warmth, peace and harmony. The fire opal is the lucky stone of those born under the sign Aries.

The tolerance of the fire opal to extreme heat is poor. So also its resistance to acids, alkaline solutions and sharp objects. The opal may lose its moisture to become cloudy and cracked.

It should not be exposed to intense light over long periods. Wearing it helps it to maintain its water balance, using the moisture of the wearer’s skin and that of the air. Fire opals which have been worn a great deal can be polished again.

Play of color, body color and transparency are the three criteria which determine the price of a fire opal. The more transparency and ‘fire’ it has and the more intense its body color, the more valuable it becomes.

The rarest and the most valued is the intense red-orange fire opal from Mexico with its strong play of color. A higher value is placed on fine cabochons than on faceted fire opals.

These gems glow from orange to red. They impart people with a positive approach to life. Their fiery color gives us vigor and energy. They make us love life.