Mexican Fire Opal Petite Pendant Necklace in Sterling Silver

The Petite Pendant series is designed for everyday wear, dainty, comfortable, and full of personality. Each piece comes on a lightweight textured cable chain that's been patinaed and polished to highlight every detail. Perfect on its own as an understated daily piece, or layered with a hand-knotted gemstone strand for a more dramatic look, these pendants are easy to mix, match, and make your own. Available in a rainbow of gemstones, each Petite Pendant carries its own unique beauty and energy.

This Mexican fire opal has an entirely different character from the vivid orange varieties. Its soft, creamy beige matrix is scattered with earthy tan and brown speckles, with beautiful pockets of milky white opal nestled within the stone. Those opal-filled areas reveal flashes of bright green, with just a hint of orange appearing as the light catches them. I love the contrast between the natural, almost sandy appearance of the surrounding material and the unexpected flashes of color. The elongated pear shape shows off the stone's interesting patterns, making it as much about texture and natural formation as it is about the opal's fire.

Mexico is famous for its fire opals, but not all of them are the familiar transparent orange or red gemstones. Some occur within their original host rock, creating fascinating combinations of earthy matrix and precious opal. The flashes of color, known as play-of-color, are caused by light interacting with the microscopic arrangement of silica spheres within the opal. In traditional gemstone lore, opal is associated with creativity, inspiration, imagination, and emotional expression.

✧ Stone: Natural Mexican fire opal in matrix
✧ Pendant Size: Approximately 28 × 13 mm
✧ Metal: Sterling silver and fine silver
✧ Chain: Lightweight textured sterling silver cable chain, patinaed and polished
✧ Length Options: Choose your preferred chain length from the dropdown menu
• 14 inches (with 2-inch extension chain, so adjustable from 14 to up to 16 inches)
• 16 inches (with 2-inch extension chain, so adjustable from 16 to up to 18 inches)
• 18 inches (with 2-inch extension chain, so adjustable from 18 to up to 20 inches)
• 20 inches (with 2-inch extension chain, so adjustable from 20 to up to 22 inches)
• 22 inches (with 2-inch extension chain, so adjustable from 22 to up to 24 inches)
✧ Closure: Sterling silver lobster claw clasp with 2-inch extension chain

One-of-a-kind and made with care in my studio.