Ubuhle Obuhlaba Umxhwele Be-“opal”

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! e-Australia

ICULO elithile elithandwayo lithi ‘amadayimane angumngane omkhulu wentombazane.’ Kodwa akuwona amadayimane wodwa akwazi ukukhanga ngokujulile abaniniwo. Phela, ngenxa yemibala ekhazimulayo nobuhle obumangalisayo, i-opal emibalabala ayinakuqhathaniswa!

I-opal iwuhlobo oluthile lwe-silica engelona ikristalu. Ngokuthakwa, ifana kakhulu nesihlabathi esivamile. Nokho, isimo sayo esakhiwe ngamaminerali siqukethe amanzi. Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule, ujengezi lwe-silica engamanzi lwavuzela emifantwini yamadwala. Njengoba lawomanzi ayehwamuka, ekugcineni lolujengezi lwaqina lwaba i-opal.

Ukuhlwaya I-opal

Nokho, ukukhipha i-opal ekhaya layo eliyidwala akuwona umsebenzi olula. Itholakala ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezisemajukujukwini, ezisalugwadule, lapho ukushisa, inqwaba yezimpukane ezibhuzayo, namanzi ayingcosana atholakalayo kwenza ukuphila kungajabulisi. Futhi njengoba kunjalo ngemizamo eminingi yokuhlwaya, ngokwezinga elikhulu impumelelo ixhomeke enhlanhleni.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, amaphesenti angu-95 ayo yonke i-opal etholakalayo ayi-opal evamile. Iphuphile futhi ayilona igugu. Kuyi-opal esele evumbululiwe, amaphesenti amancane kuphela ayi-opal eyitshe eliyigugu.

Ngakho nakuba umcebo omangalisayo uye waba umvuzo wabanye abahlwayi, abanye abaningi baye bamba kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya. Amapiki, amafosholo, nezando bekulokhu kungamathuluzi ayinhloko abahlwayi amashumi eminyaka. Okokuqala, umba umgodi enhlabathini eqinile, eyomile aze afinyelele obumbeni lapho i-opal ingase itholakale khona. Bese emba avundle, ephethe isibani ngesandla, ebheka umbala okhazimulayo obonisa ukuthi usewutholile umkhondo we-opal.

Lendlela isithathelwe isikhundla izinto zokusebenza ezibiza kakhudlwana. Ezinye izinkampane zezentengiselwano manje zifinyelela lapho kukhona i-opal ngokumba inhlabathi ngogandaganda abakhulu. Imigodi eminingi manje imbiwa ngemigxala eyimishini emikhulu elayishwa emalolini. Imishini yokumba eyinkimbinkimbi nayo iyasetshenziwa ekulandeleleni umkhondo we-opal.

Ukuveza Ubuhle Bayo

Yiqiniso, i-opal emaholoholo ihluke kakhulu emkhiqizweni osuphothuliwe. I-opal emaholoholo kumelwe isikwe futhi icwebezeliswe. Ngaleyondlela ingasebenza kahle ekwenzeni izindandatho, imihlobiso elengiswayo, nezinye izinto eziyigugu. I-World Book Encyclopedia iyaphawula: “Njengoba ubuhle be-opal busembaleni wayo wangaphakathi okhazimulayo, ayilokothwa isikwe ibe nezinhlangothi eziyisicaba, njengedayimane. Kunalokho, isikwa ngokucophelela ibe nohlangothi oluyindilinga.”

Ukuthi i-opal iyiveza kanjani imibala yayo ekhazimulayo kwakuyimfihlakalo iminyaka eminingi. Nokho, ngosizo lwezibonakhulu ezisebenzisa ama-electron ososayensi sebeqalile ukwembula izimfihlo ze-opal. Idayimane liveza imibala yalo nge-refraction, okungukuthi, ngokugoba kwemisebe yokukhanya phezu kwalo lelitshe eliyigugu. Ukwakheka kwangaphandle nokwangaphakathi kwe-opal kuguqula imisebe yokukhanya, kuyenze imibala eminingi ngaphakathi kwalelitshe.

Incwadi i-Australian Opals in Colour iyaphawula: “Uma lelitshe eliyigugu liphenduphendulwa, yonke imibala iyashintsha. Lokhu sikubiza ngokuthi ‘ukudlala kwemibala’ futhi yilesici sokuguquguquka njalo kwemibala esinikeza ama-opal ukukhanga kwawo okuhlukile.”

Izici Ezithinta Intengo

Nokho, ngaphambi kokuba uthenge i-opal kufanele uphawule ukuthi akuwona wonke ama-opal aqinile. I-doublet iwungwengwesi, noma umhlobiso wokwemboza, we-opal eyigugu enanyathiselwe phezu kwe-opal evamile. Ama-triplet ayafana nama-doublet, kodwa ukuze avikelwe ekuklwebhekeni, ambozwe nge-quartz engenambala. Nakuba lokho kungaba kuhle kakhulu, incwadi i-Australian Opals & Gemstones—Nature’s Own Fireworks iyaxwayisa: “Ama-opal ayi-doublet nayi-triplet akufanele neze acwiliswe emanzini, emithini yokugeza, otshwaleni noma ezintweni zokuhlanza ezivevezelayo, njengoba ehlanganiswe futhi ananyatheliswa ngosimende.”

Esinye isici esinquma intengo umbala oyinhloko walelitshe. Ngokuvamile i-opal emnyama iwuhlobo olubiza kakhulu. Ibizwa ngokuthi imnyama ngenxa yesizinda sayo esimnyama, kodwa itshe ngokwalo linemibala emihle enhlobonhlobo cishe engenakubalwa. I-opal ekhanyayo, noma emhlophe, ngokuvamile ayibizi kakhulu. Nakuba loluhlobo lunesizinda esiphaphathekile noma esimhlophe, luyayiveza imibala ekhanyayo—obomvana, obomvu, oluhlaza njengotshani, noluhlaza njengesibhakabhaka. Okubaluleke ngokufanayo ekunqumeni intengo ye-opal umbala oyinhloko osondela kowomlilo (ngokuvamile obomvu ubiza kakhudlwana kunoluhlaza njengotshani noma njengesibhakabhaka) nesimo sombala.

Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyitshe eliqinile elikhazimulayo noma iyi-doublet noma iyi-triplet ezolile, iyitshe eliyigugu elibomvu elikhazimulayo noma eliluhlaza ngokuzolile njengesibhakabhaka, i-opal iyinto enhle yokuba uyibone futhi uyijabulele.

[Izithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

Cishe amaphesenti angu-95 etshe eliyigugu i-“opal” avela e-Australia

[Umthombo]

Photos: By courtesy of Australian Overseas Information Service