Opal is a desirable long-term investment as it is the most valued of all gemstones. The unique 3D play of colour of opals is not just about brightness but ranges across the entire spectrum, no wonder opal is regarded as Queen of Gemstone. It is the perfect gift to pass on generation to generation.
Due to its low profile, most general public have no knowledge of Opal. However, its unique character and beauty attracts some famous admirers like Pliny the Elder, Queen Victoria, Mark Antony, Andy Warhol and John Davison Rockefeller.
Pliny the Elder wrote the first Natural History of the World in the first century AD. In this most important publication, he wrote that Opal was the most highly prized and valuable of all gemstones in the Empire.
Gemstones of the Year
If you are space lovers, you must know that NASA’s Curiosity Rover discovers Opals on Mars, the only gemstone found on Mars.
In 2008, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered a number of opal deposits on Mars. In this satellite image, the surface in the pinkish cream-colored area to the right of the impact crater is covered with hydrated silica rock debris that we would call "opal." Mars researchers have also identified layers of opal exposed in the outcrops of crater walls. Since opal is a hydrated silicate, its formation requires water. So, the discovery of opal on Mars is another evidence that water once existed on the planet. Image by NASA.
https://science.nasa.gov/resource/gemstone-of-the-year-labeled/