Taylor Swift helps opals become hot again. Photo: @taylorswift/IG .

Over the years, opal, a famous sedimentary rock commonly found in Australia, has fallen out of favor with many people. With an average hardness much lower than diamond, no matter how beautiful, this stone still makes many people hesitant to own it.

However, recently, enchanting stones are becoming a topic of interest around the world. The story originated when Taylor Swift was spotted wearing a pear-shaped opal ring at her 34th birthday party in New York (USA).

This ring was a gift from Keleigh Sperry, a close friend of Swift, according to SCMP .

Many people love it

Not only the Shake it Off singer, many influential people in the fashion industry also love this stone, such as Victoire de Castellane, Creative Director of art and gemstone jewelry at Dior.

Castellane said she loves opals because they contain every color in the world. This is a worthy compliment for any gemstone. Dior brand jewelry collections, such as Dior et d’Opales , have focused on this stone.

Meanwhile, Kim Jones, Creative Director at Fendi, included opal jewelry in her first haute couture collection for the Italian fashion house.

Alessandro Michele, former Creative Director of Gucci, and Francesca Amfitheatrof, Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton jewelry and watches, are also fans of colorful jewelry stones.

One of the most important pieces in Louis Vuitton’s Deep Time high jewelry collection this year is the Rupture necklace on the neck of actress Ana de Armas.

The Rupture necklace, part of Louis Vuitton’s Deep Time high jewelry collection, uses 15 oval-cut opals. Photo: Louis Vuitton

Rupture’s design is a series of 33 brilliant-cut purple-brown zircons. This is the oldest stone in the world and is not commonly found in high-end jewelry.

The zircons are paired with 15 oval-cut opals and one triangle-cut sapphire. All are placed inside a luxurious gold necklace.

The necklace was seen as a bold and unusual move in high jewelry, reflecting the return of designers around the world to viewing opals with the esteem they once held. existed in the art deco and art nouveau periods.

The attraction of ‘no stone is the same’

Suzanne Kalan, a jewelry expert in Los Angeles (USA), is one of the contemporary designers who often creates creativity with opal.

She recently launched a new collection of earrings and rings using vibrant multicolored opals in her signature “Fireworks” design.

“Opals have fascinated me for many years. Their beauty lies in their uniqueness, no two stones are alike, each has its own unique dance of color and light,” she said.

L’ Amore Oceania earrings from the Elhanati brand are made of opal and gold. Photo: Elhanati

However, getting customers to love opal still has many challenges.

Kalan showcases the beauty of opals by featuring them in the brand’s signature, modern designs.

She believes that those who are attracted to opals are likely to have a strong sense of the importance of personal style.

“The ideal customer for our opal products is someone with a distinct style who appreciates the combination of elegance, luxury and modern sophistication,” she said.

Orit Elhanati, a jeweler at the handmade jewelry brand Elhanati, said customers are seeing opals as a form of art and an expression of personal taste.

“I aim to create jewelry that is not just decorative but also a form of art. My clients look for something truly special, unique, a stone that no one else has,” Elhanati said.

She said she likes to combine opals with gold and diamonds, catering to a clientele that appreciates a more bohemian luxury style.

Sarah Gardner, an Australian jeweler, is also a big fan of opal. She has used these stones for over 25 years and they are the highlight of her “splice rings” collection.

She also likes that no two opals in the world are alike.

Gardner says the popularity of this stone has increased significantly over the past five to seven years, which she believes is due to its “one-of-a-kind beauty.”