Amazing things can be created by the environment we live in, even without our help. Although artists try their best to recreate the natural world, they can never quite reach the peak of beauty created by Mother Nature. Even things as simple as rocks or minerals can be thought of as beautiful, and some even have monetary worth based on their rareness. Trading or buying and selling jewels and minerals has been done for countless centuries, even being the main export of multiple countries throughout history.
There is one certain gemstone that was discovered in a mine in Southern Australia in 2003 by a scientific group that is considered one of the most beautiful rocks ever discovered. It glows in a multitude of colors and is absolutely gorgeous. It was studied very intensely after it was discovered, but was finally put on display at the Southern Australia Museum. It has been named the Virgin Rainbow and is considered the most profoundly colored opal in the world.
The gemstone has been valued at over $1 million and the exhibit it is now displayed in is a recreation of the very mine in which it was found. The opal itself is made from silica and is actually transparent. However, the gemstone composition is what lets the opal refract light in a wide variety of angles and is what gives it such a unique coloring. Opals are just one of the most popular jewels in Australia and the rest of the world. They have even been widely used in the creation of different pieces of wearable jewelry throughout history. During the Middle Ages, people believed they were a sign of good luck as they held the colors of all gemstones. Some even thought they could provide a wearer the ability to become invisible if the opal was covered with a bay leaf.
The sheer extravagance of the colors reflected by opals is almost not understandable, and the scientists who found the Virgin Rainbow surely were utterly excited upon its discovery. This gemstone’s worth is almost too much to comprehend. It is exciting that a simple rock can be valued so highly. A trip to Australia may be needed soon to see if more valuable rocks can be found.
