Tell me which of the opals is your favourite – Mexican Leopard (left) or Ethiopian Welo (right)? Click Opal Vote and write your choice in the comments.
I recently had a call from a London retailer the other day and he told me that a French gentleman had visited him in the shop with some exquisite opals. Not only this but he said that there was one variety that had been mined by the Aztecs, since lost, and now found! Well this sort of phone call does not come along every day so I thanked my man in London and rapidly made contact across the Channel. Before long the two delightful stones pictured landed on my doorstep and they are causing a bit of excitement at AG.
The Leopard Opal pictured on the left is the lost and found Aztec Gem. Lost for hundreds of years, there is evidence that the Leopard Opal deposits were mined in the State of Hidalgo in pre-Columbian times. The native Aztecs indigenous peoples who lived in this area of Mexico named the opal the ‘humming bird stone’ because its shimmer resembles the shining feathers of a humming bird in Mexico.
The other Opal is Ethiopian Welo named after a region in Ethiopia and in the sphere cut it has an altogether planetary look. The Ethiopian Opals are a recent discovery from the past few decades and the colours and patterns possible are incredible.
I feel inspired to use these unique gems in my work and the Celestial and Satellite are the first contenders. If, like me, you are also inspired please get in touch and I can tell you prices and availability.
The Celestial
Mr. Boyd described Leopard Opal as a gemstone mine that had been lost for hundreds of years. There is evidence that the Leopard Opal deposits were mined in the State of Hidalgo in pre-Columbian times, up to500 years ago. “The native Aztecs indigenous peoples who lived in this area of Mexico named the opal the ‘humming bird stone’ because its shimmer resembles the shining feathers of a humming bird in Mexico. This research into the history of opal mining in Mexico serves as a good selling point when marketing the Leopard Opal to consumers. Effectively Leopard Opal comes from the lost mines of the Aztecs!” Mr Boyd said.
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