Ombré Mexican Fire Opal Necklace

3-4mm Mexican Fire opal faceted beads, 3mm Karen Hill Tribe silver beads, .925 silver components. 
Sterling silver functional padlock pendant.
Hand knotted on turquoise triple stranded bead thread.
Overall length including pendant is 22”
Made in the USA with love by me from artisan bead components fabricated in Mexico, and Thailand.

Crystal tip:

Fire opal is mined in the Mexican states of Queretaro, Hidalgo, Guerrero, Michoacan, Julisio, Chihuahua and San Luis Potosi. The most significant deposits were discovered in Queretaro in 1835, and are still producing today. Small quantities of this gem can also be found in Oregon and British Columbia.

Unlike other opals, most Mexican Fire Opal is faceted to add brilliance. The standard color for fire opals is considered orange, but the full spectrum includes colors from red to orange to gold, with an almost dayglo intensity of color. As of today, the Mexican Fire Opal is considered to be the country’s national gemstone.

What is HillTribe Silver? Being between 99.5% and 99.9% pure silver, Karen HillTribe Silver has a higher silver content than Sterling Silver. Often, it's just the solder used to fuse the silver components together that makes up the last fractions of a percent.

HillTribe Silver is traditionally handcrafted by artisans of the Karen Hill Tribe, who have been passing this silversmithing method on for generations in the hills of Northern Thailand, Myanmar and Southern Laos. The hand-hammered are beautiful and you can actually see the evidence of each piece having been formed by the hands of a Karen Craftsman.