Opal Rocks!

I've been feeling the pull like a magnet to visit a crystal shop here in Austin. It's called Crystal Works and it's located at 12th & Lamar. It's actually a short walk from where I work but I could never force myself to actually visit there during the week. I was afraid I'd be disappointed and then I'd be all sweaty after walking several blocks in the mid-day heat.

Today we went out for lunch and I decided I'd take a short detour downtown and check out this shop. It's small but amazing, and PACKED with all sorts of crystals and stones, jewelry, rings, smudge sticks, incense, and a couple of huge shiva lingams which managed to calm my nerves like Valium. (The big ones were $1,500 each.)

I may have a difficult time spending my $100 gift card at Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn but I had no problem whatsoever dropping a little cash at a shop that sells rocks. That's konagod for ya!

This is my little collection I've had for about 2 decades.

I have worn a crystal pendant around my neck for awhile. My favorite one lost a stone out of a mount awhile back so I switched to the another one which is basically a silver man-figure grasping the crystal with both arms and both legs. "The silver crystal-humping man" (Tart can swing by and grade me on my punctuation and grammar) is what I call it. It's interesting but ever since those pictures started circulating of McCain humping Bush, it lost a lot of appeal for me.

Today I treated myself to something different. Out with the crystal and in with the opal. This picture is blurry but it did capture a bit of the green peeking through.

Here's a more detailed shot which has more of the blue/purple showing. This stone is fascinating and I've never really known much about opals.

A card which came with this explains some of the qualities of opal and I believe I made a good choice. It reads as follows:

Opal is a stone of inspiration which enhances imagination and creativity. It helps one release inhibitions and enhances memory.

Opal is also a very spiritual stone, and can help one be "invisible" in situations where they don't care to be noticed.

Opal brings happy dreams. It also eases the process of change.

Basically, all of that is important to me, particularly at the point in time.

Upon doing additional research, I learned that opal is my mystical birthstone which is of Tibetan origin. Being an April baby, all I've ever heard was that diamond is my birthstone. And konagod isn't exactly the diamond necklace type.

Specifically, this is what's known as a boulder opal and supposedly those represent a small fraction of overall opals in the world. This one comes from Australia which is the source of the world's vast majority of opals.

The opal is the official gemstone of South Australia. Adelaide, the capital, is a sister city to Austin, and ironically home to a couple of my fave bloggers who in many ways are an alter ego to txrad and myself.

But I digress. Also scored me another dangly stone earring. Can't remember the name of this stone; I'll have to do some internet research and track it down. I was happy to find something I like since I recently lost my favorite one which I'd had for about 12 years or longer.

In this picture I inadvertently stuck it in the same hole as the silver hoop. Just letting you know so you don't think the hoop is part of this earring. Yes, konagod does have more than one hole. :-)

Actually that one I lost a couple of months ago was found by txrad in a crack in our driveway a few weeks ago. And then I promptly lost it again after about a week. I'm thinking I may have lost it the 2nd time at work. That stone was apparently ready to leave me for some reason.

Stones are funny that way.

Opal cutting in action:

Another short video for true opal geeks:

Opal: Way better than the silver crystal-humping man.