Inner Prizes Blog

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Opal – October’s Stone Of The Month

While both blue and pink Andean Opal, Fire Opal, Ethiopian Opal, and Australian Opal all share the chemical composition of SiO2n(H2O),  currently  the most common material on the market is mainly Australian opal. Note, Ethiopian opal is as flashy as the Aussi material and rapidly gaining a market share in the jewelry trade.
All opal shares a Mohs hardness between 5 and 6, but since it has an amorphous crystalline structure and is very hydrated, it can crack or craze due to sharp temperature changes or dryness.  Rings set with opal should be worn with care because of this.

For many years, the opal suffered rumors and old wives tales about being bad luck. Legends have persisted about this stone, tales designed to discourage those who might otherwise find themselves drawn by its fiery brilliance.   Throughout history, while many stones were prized for their positive magical qualities, others were denounced as vessels of evil. No gem was more vilified than the poor opal. Often associated with scorcery and witchcraft, Medieval Europeans dreaded the opal because of its resemblance to “the Evil Eye,” and its superficial likeness to the optical organs of cats, toads, snakes, and other common creatures with affiliations with witchcraft.  Opals today are still viewed with prejudice in many parts of the world which is unfortunate for such a wonderful, healing stone.  In general, research into opal’s folklore turns up the belief that opal  is a stone of inspiration which can enhance imagination and creativity. It is said to help one release inhibitions and enhance memory. Opal is also a very spiritual stone, and is said to help one be “invisible” in situations where they don’t care to be noticed.
There are a multitude of opal varieties, each with its own nuanced energies.


Boulder Opal (precious opal threaded in an ironstone matrix, most commonly from Australia) is said to do many things for us on the metaphysical level.  It is said to assist us in communication of all forms; verbal, psychic, etc.  Some like to use this stone to assist in communication with their guides, angels, animal guides, nature devas, and other  entities.  Boulder Opal is also a good choice for clearing blocked Chakras, and for strengthening and adding light into the aura.  It produces stability. Boulder Opal is also a very spiritual stone, it has long been used by native people in ceremonies and rights of passage.


Ethiopian Opal increases your psychic abilities for incoming and outgoing questions and answers.  It helps one to discern areas in need of change.  Ethiopian Opal connects the Base Chakra, Heart Chakra, and Crown Chakra, helping balance your Chakras and Aura

Fire Opal, most commonly from Mexico, shares the properties of all opals and also has its own personality and energies. Fire opal brings vitality and a creative energy to endeavors. It also had energies of ability to handle change well and comfortably. Fire Opal is also a stone of sensuality and sexuality, enhancing those energies. It is often used in clairaudience as well.


Blue Peruvian (Andean) Opal is mystically known as a stone of courage and ingenuity. It is said to improve self-esteem and self-love. It is also said to be an aid to creativity and communication of all types. It is reputed to help one find a confidant. Peruvian blue opal is also said to help with stress reduction, fatigue, and weight loss. Crystal healing lore reputes that Peruvian (Andean) blue opal is physically healing for fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, metabolic balance issues, iron absorption, dizziness, and brain disorders. Blue Peruvian opal is associated primarily with the throat Chakra.
It is great for stimulating thoughts and communication skills.  Use on the fifth Chakra to voice your opinions in a clear fashion.  It is about freedom of speech!  Some like to use this opal to connect with others.  Peruvian opal is a very creative stone, especially for writers and those who need to get their thoughts down on paper.  Some say this stone balances metabolism and helps those with fatigue.
Pink Andean Opal can be found occasionally.  It is a stone of love and gentleness. It brings energies of gentle love and kindness to both romantic relationships and relationships of other kinds. That said, its energy is not a cottony soft energy, but instead, a vibrant, active energy, like laughter.  It raises the spirits and elevates your mood.  As with other opals, it also brings inspiration, imagination and creativity. It can help release inhibitions and brings happy dreams. It also eases the process of change. Pink Peruvian opal is associated primarily with the heart Chakra.
Opal is a varied and beautiful stone I enjoy working with and would highly recommend.

See you at the fair!

Carnelian – September’s Stone Of The Month

Carnelian is a variety of chalcedony that often shows agate’s banding.  It has a 6.5 to 7 hardness on the Mohs scale, making it a sturdy stone for jewelry use, and it was occasionally used to make marbles in the last century!  It has a chemical composition of SiO2, which places it in the wide-ranging Quartz family of stone.  It is a cryptocrystalline form of silica,  composed of very fine inter-growths of the minerals quartz and morganite.  It is colored by impurities of iron oxide, namely hematite. The color can vary greatly, ranging from pink, pale orange, to an intense almost-black coloration.  When it occurs with black, white, and red bands it is called Sard or Sardonyx.
While the material from  India is regarded as the finest, it is also found in several other places throughout the world including Africa, Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, Russia Uruguay, and the United States.

Carnelian has a long and distinguished history, being one of the 12 stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel set in the breastplate of the Jewish high priest in Biblical times.  During Roman times it was often used make the engraved gems for signet or seal rings for imprinting a seal with wax on correspondence or other important documents.  Hot wax does not stick to carnelian.

In Egypt, it was also highly popular. They believed the stone had great spiritual power, particularly with regard to the afterlife. It was routinely carved into a scarab and placed with the mummified dead because they  thought that it would help to ensure a soul’s passage from the land of the living.

Egyptian Scarab New Kingdom

While widely used in both the East Indian and Pre-Columbian cultures for carving, jewelry, and trading, it is unknown to this author if it had any special metaphysical meaning or association in those cultures.

Metaphysically, Carnelian is said to awaken one’s talents and to produce inspiration from spiritual worlds.  It was believed by the Romans to give the wearer courage in battle and to help timid speakers become eloquent and bold.

Melody states that it enhances analytical abilities and precision.  Protecting against anger, fear, and rage, she says it helps to banish sorrow from the user.  Pink carnelian is noted especially to be effective in fostering love and understanding between parents and children, and between parent and parent.  It fosters compassion while dispelling apathy, indolence, and passivity. The orange variety is said to better focus the mind, especially during meditation.
She goes on to state that Carnelian, when  used with chlorite and ruby crystals in troubled spaces are said to help dispel earthbound spirits and end hauntings!

Others believe this stone represents confidence, boldness, initiative, dramatic abilities, assertiveness and outgoingness.  It encourages celebration and brings awareness of suppressed feelings.  It is said to be an excellent stone for those recovering from childhood neglect.
This stone helps one feel anchored and comfortable with one’s surroundings. Carnelian provides a connection to the past or to historical events. It can improve motivation. This is why is is commonly believed to help one achieve greater success in career or personal matters.
Since it is believed to be a strong energy booster, it is ideal for those who wish to increase their overall vitality during illness.  It is said to stimulate the will to live, help with mental focus and improve appetite.
Its association with the second Chakra also lends it to fertility work, helping to dispel sexual blocks, and it is said to strongly influence the reproductive organs.  Additionally, it is used to help relieve painful menses and stimulate sexual passion.  Not a bad stone to slip between the mattress and box spring!

In  Feng Shui, Carnelian is used in the Center area for harmony and balance, in the South area for success, in the West area for creativity and in the Southeast area for self worth.

In other traditions, placing Carnelian near the front door is said to invoke protection and bring abundance to one’s home.

See you at the fair!