"A few years ago in 2008, NASA announced the discovery of opal deposits on Mars. Imagine that! Yet my obsession with Opals began long before that out-of-this-world-fact. I was initially drawn to Opals for their intense flashes of color and distinctive patterns. With Opal, it is the color that determines value: the more colors in an Opal, the more valuable the gemstone will be.

Those colors run the spectrum from electric greens and blues to intense pinks and oranges and occasionally vivid reds. The Opal group of stones contain 4 major types: Black, Crystal, Boulder and White/Milk. I find myself inspired by not only the colors...but in the fact, that to this day, we aren't entirely sure how an Opal is formed. As for superstitions about Opals being bad luck, there are several tales about how that myth was started, but being a beautiful extension of the Earth, I don't feel they carry anything but good energy and mysterious beauty. The only time Opal is unlucky is when you don't own one."

DESIGNER/FRIEND SINCE 2010