Blue Opal is a magical stone, no doubt. It is made up of chaos, in scientific terms, and has powerful vibrations.
Long known for healing properties, this variety of Opal is very important among crystals.
We’ll explore the Blue Opal’s meaning in necessary detail, just below.
What is Blue Opal?
The blue opal is a fascinating, unique gemstone. Technically, it isn’t a mineral.
A mineral must have a definite chemical composition. The “chaos” we refer to in blue opals is the microcrystalline silica balls that make up the chemical composition of the stone, as opposed to a definite chemical composition.
Thus, they are “shapeless” in the chemical sense (obviously they have a shape of some kind in the general sense of the term).
The silica refracts the light that hits the stone, taking it into the blue end of the spectrum–that’s where the color blue comes from.
Blue Opal Properties
Opals are a family (or “species”) of gemstone known for the silica spheres, mentioned above.
They are iridescent, creating a type of glow (adularescent) that seems to beam from deep in the gem, even though it’s really on the surface.
It is a relatively hard stone, similar to hematite and turquoise in this regard.
Blue opals are not just a translucent stone though: they are also healing crystals.
In fact, one major type of healing they provide is emotional healing. This is due largely to blue opals’ relaxed vibrations.
This allows for you to bring out your feelings and emotions, rather than keeping them locked up.
This is due to the fact that one of the blue opal’s properties is that they usually help a person communicate better.
This can include supplying courage to someone who may need it, allowing them to feel worthy of expressing their opinion.
In terms of purely “medical” healing, these blue stones are said to be very helpful with cataracts and with eyesight in general.
It is also known for cleansing the body and for energizing it. Whether in an elixir or as a crystal, blue opal can boost metabolism, giving us more vitality, but also help the body’s absorption of iron, which is important for energy.
While other properties exist, these are the main traits of blue opal (including Blue Andean Opal,and Blue Peruvian Opal), including their healing benefits.
We will touch on physical and spiritual hearing as we progress.
Where is Blue Opal From?
Blue Opal is present in a few places in the world, but by far the most common in Australia, where most “precious opal” (the more colorful and vibrant sort of opal that includes Blue Opal, as opposed to the “common opal.”
) in the world is mined.
In fact, Blue Opal is the national gem of Australia. The nation allows collectors to go into mines after the heavy equipment has left and pick up their own samples.
In any case, Blue Fire Opal is common in Australia. Fire opals are those that show a lot of yellow and reds, which some blue opals do.
Roughly four thousand years ago, archaeologists found evidence of Blue Opal in a cave in Kenya.
That is when it entered human life as something to be mined.
Varieties of Blue Opal
But there’s another very important locale to consider regarding the Blue Opal’s meaning and significance as a gemstone.
It is also found in the mountain nation of Peru, in the famous Andes Mountains, to be exact.
This variety of Opal, the Peruvian Blue Opal, is lighter blue than most blue opals, sometimes observed to be the color of the Mediterranean Sea!
Also found in the Andes is the blue fire opal variety, which has enough yellow and red for that nickname.
How To Use a Blue Opal
Now that we’ve taken a gander at the background of this gem, let’s look more into the blue opal’s meaning by exploring using the gem in your life.
It can be used to heal existing problems, to gain confidence for the future, and to become more energetic in your efforts to live your best life.
Cleansing and Charging a Blue Opal
If you’re an experienced user of crystals, you know that gemstones with healing properties–such as the Blue Opal–require just a bit of preparation before use.
First, you’ll cleanse the Blue Opal. Now, as you use your crystal, you’ll develop a feel for how often it should be cleansed.
But an additional cleansing is an excellent idea. Probably the best method is to run cool water over it for a minute or two.
For sure, don’t use abrasives or even soaps and detergents for cleansing the opal.
Quartz chips are an alternative if you want to go beyond a simple wash.
As to charging the Blue Opal, when it is time to keep the Blue Opal’s meaning as strong as possible, try bathing it in moonlight.
That is the classic method for charging crystals.
Activating a Blue Opal
The activation of a blue opal is all about contact with the person, with you!
Some people choose to activate the stone by rubbing it between their hands while reciting some important mantra.
However, you may choose to hold it against your skin for a period of time.
However, you will still get activation just from wearing the quartz as jewelry–your energies and vibrations are what do the activating, so direct contact with skin isn’t necessary.
Gaining the Benefits of Blue Opal
We’ve looked briefly at some of the spiritual and healing properties, above.
But now let’s go beyond an overview and into actually using Blue Opal.
Blue Opal: Sea and Sky
Because of their vivid blue color, sometimes including clear light blues, the Blue Opal is associated with both the sea and the sky.
In the mythologies of many cultures, the sky is associated with spiritual traits like transcendence or an ultimate freedom.
It is something to aspire to. In fact, many cultures have developed varied sky gods and goddesses. They distinguish between day (blue sky) gods and night (dark sky, with stars visible) gods, showing the importance of the color and level of visibility of the sky at a given time.
As for the sea, which is always a green-tinted blue, in mythologies, it has meant mystery, change, and travel, as well as purity.
Naturally, the sky is seen as heavenly, or pertaining to things “above” the earth, spiritually speaking.
And the sea is more earthly, an expanse thought of as “below” the earth that contains its own mysteries.
It is linked more with our physical selves, which are no less important than our spiritual ones.
When you use a blue opal for spiritual reasons, you are gaining the combination of these energies.
Here, the Blue Opal’s meaning is at its most desirable and valuable.
Bringing the spiritual (sky) together with the physical (sea) gives us confidence, plus the ability to take spiritual journeys yet remain grounded.
This can be extremely beneficial when you have recently felt a rejection or something that has hurt you emotionally.
In spiritual journeys, we turn off that nagging voice and what can often be competing voices, a sort of noise.
With these old, negative voices silenced, we may hear the new perceptions, a new way of seeing the universe, which is now available to us.
These new insights into life gives us a sort of toolbox for moving forward.
This in turn gives us confidence, which is all-important for growth.
Healing with Blue Peruvian Opal
Blue Peruvian Opals have their own specific spiritual benefits. One of the biggest of these may be the ability to let go of old traumas, thus healing the wounds they caused long ago.
Similarly, Peruvian Blue Opals may be very helpful for anxiety. It does help get energies–and feelings, ideas, and words–flowing more freely.
Thus, this Blue Peru Opal should be part of your repertoire, and is well worth checking out.
Blue Opals Interact with Chakras
If you are familiar with the life of Chakras and making efforts to keep them balanced, the blue opal crystal is for you.
The Chakra corresponding with Blue Opal’s crystal healing is the throat chakra.
As you might expect from something located near the throat, the throat chakra controls communication.
This is so important because when we feel stifled and in need of healing, we don’t have the confidence to let people know our needs and our feelings.
The Blue Opal’s meaning for your throat chakra is that it opens it, which basically means freeing it.
Only then will you be best able to find a voice for what ails you (and for your goals for improvement), which leads you to the sort of balance necessary for a trip to spiritual journey.
Blue Opals and the Water Sign
It’s very important to not overlook the significance the Blue Opal has in matters of the Zodiac.
The placement of the stars–and of our zodiac ones specifically–is not only important, but able to be improved with gemstones such as the Blue Opal.
Unsurprisingly, the Blue Opal corresponds with water signs, Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio.
The Blue Opal’s meaning in this situation is confidence and assurance, emanating even more from stones that are a bit more pastel blue.
As for Cancer specifically, the Blue Opal is associated with Andula, a star in the Cancer constellation.
However, the zodiac meaning of Blue Opal isn’t limited to water signs only.
Taurus, the moon sign, is connected to it because of Blue Opal’s close connection to the lunar cycle.
Venus and the Blue Opal
For centuries, the Blue Opal’s meaning for spirituality has paralleled that of the planet Venus.
That is, the Blue Opal serves to amplify the strengths of Venus, which include stamina and wealth.
Who wouldn’t want these strengths?
Sourcing Blue Opal
When it comes time to purchase your own individual Blue Opal, one of the biggest things to look out for is Opalite, a synthetic (imitation) form of Opal.
Technically, Opalite is a type of glass. It may be one thing if you wanted to wear this impostor in jewelry, but if you’re using the stone as a healing crystal, it has to be the genuine item.
Once you know you have a dealer you can trust, be sure to ask them about the ethical practices and sustainable sourcing. Look for a purveyor of jewels who can demonstrate expertise.
Blue Opal Jewelry
A precious stone as spiritually-rich and eye-soothing as the blue opal will be a part of many man or woman’s jewelry collection, for sure.
Let’s take a quick look at integrating the blue opal into your jewel cosmos.
Pendants- Because of the cool and dreamy look of blue opal, letting it express itself in a pendant really brings out its beauty.
This of course will help if you’re seeking healing properties as well. Here’s a Blue Opal pendant in the form of a small round cabochon.
This one is set in Sterling Silver and has a nearly-haunting classic look.
Necklaces- A unique, earthy variation on a chain with a pendant is a necklace made up Blue Opals themselves.
This example is Ethiopian and made from multi-fire opals. It’s adjustable with a lobster-claw closure.
Bangles- The bangle is a great way to integrate multiple stones into a piece, but also to showcase them with subtlety, as they play nicely alongside the metal that may be used.
This bangle does just that by setting nice cuts of opal into solid sterling silver.
The look is sophisticated.
Bracelets- Bracelets can jump from helping you rock that simple, minimalist look to helping you create a unique style with multiple bracelets.
This versatile number is thin and clean, and with enough elegant verve to really accent an outfit on its own.
Earrings- An intelligent, artsy look is in store with Blue Opal earrings. Witness these beauts, which refract light in a way that almost makes it look like wispy white clouds.
Forms of Blue Opal for Spirituality
When you wear blue opal jewelry, the more of it touches your skin, the better, at least in terms of spiritual or physical healing.
However, people most interested in blue opal’s meaning in terms of spirituality/healing often use larger pieces of stone to powerfully project the right energy into one’s body and even into an entire room.
Blue Opal Tower– Not only are these decorative, but they can be used during meditation or visualization and can be used to channel energy.
Blue Opal Hand Stones– Hand stones are for serious attempts at a very real healing.
It can be physical or emotional, but these stones channel the energy properly.
Use them during yoga or meditation or prayer.
Tumbled Stones– These are small enough for great versatility. Some people carry one or two with them for good energy during the day.
But when working with the chakras, you can place some tumbled stones directly on the correct location on the body.
Spheres– This particular sphere is beautifully polished and corresponds to the throat chakra.
Final Thoughts
First, keep in mind that while many healers and others make claims of the effects of Blue Opal or other crystals, they haven’t necessarily been proven by scientific methods.
There have been few attempts made for Blue Opal specifically.
However, it is well known by believers to have some valuable spiritual properties, such as making one more confident and assured; and helping a person communicate better.
Medically, Blue Opal is heavily associated with the improvement of vision, particularly cataracts.
In terms of history and significance, the Blue Opal goes a long way back and has been valued for millennia.
It has such strong associations with both sea and sky that is nearly mythical in its appearance alone, as though it somehow contains these natural entities.
Therefore, whether you’re looking more for a functioning crystal or lovely jewelry, being familiar with the Blue Opal should be at the top of your list.
Blue Opal FAQ.
What does the Blue Opal symbolize?
This translucent stone with its signature color blue symbolizes a balance between the sea and the sky, meaning between the earthly, physical world and the spiritual world.
It connects to the throat chakra and to the planet Saturn.
What are the healing properties of the Blue Opal?
Many experts claim that Blue Opal boosts metabolism, giving us more vitality; it is associated with improving vision, even fixing Cataracts.
What does opal mean spiritually?
As a gem connected to the sky, the Blue Opal opens the world up for us, opening our perceptions.
It proceeds to help us express ourselves better and with more clarity.
Is the blue opal real?
Real opals are as valued as they are magnificent, but you don’t want an imitation.
The synthetic version is called opalite, and there are quick steps to telling if an opal you own is real.