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History of the Mexican Opal
Opalos de Magdalena, S. A. de C. V., Magdalena, Jalisco, México.
Information courtesy of Opalos de Mexico.
Queretaro, birthplace of the Opal and Opal Mining Pioneers
According to historic dates, Mexican Opals were used by the Aztec people for the elaboration of ornamental and ceremonial pieces between the years 1200 and 1519. The opal was known by the name vitzitziltecpal or “humming bird stone”, referring to the similarity of the iridescent of the gem with the feathers of the bird. One of the opals used by the Aztecs know worldwide with the name of the Aztec Sun God, was supposedly found in XVI decade, and later formed part of the Hope gem collection. In 1881 it was sold to the Museum of Natural History in Chicago to be part of their Tiffany gem collection.
With the Conquest of the Spaniards all the know location for opals were lost, it wasn’t until 1840, that Sir José María Siurab rediscovered the deposits and started to work the mines Santa María Iris, in Hacienda Esmeralda. In 1855 other important deposits were discovered in Hacienda Esperanza, the mine La Carbonera, among others. There were mining pioneers like Leonardo Godinez, Bulmaro Hernández, Joaquín Ontiveros and Eugenio Ontiveros, this last one obtaining the concession of the mine Los Cascarones, a mine that produces a great deal of opals back in that period. The region reached its peak in the year 1969 as a result of the great demand of opals abroad.
ORIGEN OF MAGDALENA
MAGDALENA, LAND OPALS AND HISTORY
The first mine found in the region was La Unica near the Huitzicilapan ranch, a municipality of Magdalena. A year later they would have discovered the mines Las Latillas and La Mora on the San Andres hill.
During the sixties the mines of the regions were exploited to their maximum, obtaining greater production that the mines in the state of Querétaro. Years of apogee were lived and more mines arose in the region and it surrounding areas.
New mines that were discovered by accident and others were found by great connoisseurs of opal mines; such as San Simon, Las Cruces, San Martin, Santa Cecilia, San José, El Huaxical, El Cobano and La Perla as well as others as time went by.
The most important stones in the history of opals came from the richest mines in the region of Magdalena, Jalisco and the richest in opal mines of the country.
Especimen Opalo Verde – Opalos de Magdalena
The first mine that was discovered in the region was La Unica, located on the outskirts of volcano in Tequila. After this other mines were discovered such as La Estancia, San Simón, La Mora, El Huaxical, Las Latillas, Las Cruces, San Martín, La Pata de Gallo, Mina del Hostotipaquillo and also in the mountain range of El Salvador Municipality of Tequila several mines these mines were discovered: La Perla, El Cobano, Las Azucenas, El Santoniño, La Linda, El Verde, Acatan, La Camelia, Las Crucitas and La Falda. All these mines were discovered and exploited and this is how in the years 1965-1975 the opal fever took place in the region.
It is said that the opals were pulled out in such quantities, that they were sold by sacks and the people dedicated to this incredible gem were in the thousands. What great times they were! It is also said that people lived a very prosperous era; some of these people still exist and it would be quite interesting to hear their anecdote and stories of what it was like a day of opal fever.