Ethiopian Chocolate Opal Meaning: Shewa Opals, Chocolate Fire Opals, And Brown Opals

Ethiopian Shewa Chocolate Opal Properties, Uses, Benefits, And Meaning

A Chocolate Opal Gemstone from Ethiopia is one of the most revered types of opal for sale worldwide.

This rare opal type is known as an Ethiopian Shewa Opal, Chocolate Opal, or Mezezo Opal Stone, amongst other names. 

An Ethiopian Chocolate Opal Gemstone is prized as a precious opal gemstone due to both the rarity of its chocolate-brown opal body colour, and the rainbow of opalescent colour it shimmers with when illuminated. 

Like other Ethiopian Opals such as Crystal Opal (Welo Opal), an Ethiopian Chocolate Opal or Ethiopian Shewa Opal is a gorgeous iridescent precious opal gem.

An Ethiopian Chocolate Opal or Ethiopian Shewa Opal is distinguished from other brown opals by its distinctive rich chocolate-brown hue, its unique volcanic origins in the Yita Ridge opal field, and the stunning aesthetics of the fiery flashes of colour that play across the opal gem's surface in a mesmerising show of iridescent opalescence. 

Read this crystal blog to learn more about:

• The difference between brown opals and chocolate opals
• Where chocolate opals are found and where shewa opals are found
• How chocolate opals are formed and the geology of chocolate opal rocks
• The meaning of chocolate opal, including the spiritual meaning of chocolate opal and brown opal
• The properties of chocolate opal, including the metaphysical properties of chocolate opal and the healing properties of chocolate opal
• The uses of chocolate opal, including chocolate opal uses as a gemstone, chocolate opal uses in jewellery, and raw chocolate opal uses
• The benefits of chocolate opal, including what chocolate opal is good for helping with

Is There A Brown Opal? 

Yes, opals can be brown in colour: brown precious opals exist and are commonly known as chocolate opals, and common opals can also be brown in colour. 

What Is Brown Opal? 

Brown opal refers to any opal stone that is predominantly brown in colour, although it is most typically used to refer to Chocolate Opals, which are unique precious brown opals with a chocolate-brown body colour and rainbow flash play of colour.

Brown opal is also a term sometimes used to describe Australian Boulder Opals, which are valuable opals found in Australia that form in a unique brown ironstone matrix. 

Brown precious opals, including precious chocolate opals, are used as gemstones and prized in jewellery-making, whilst brown common opal is rarely used to make gemstones or jewellery given its lack of play of colour. 

Where Is Brown Opal Found?

A variety of types of brown opal can be found around the world. 

Apart from Chocolate Opals found in Ethiopia and Oregon, USA, some of the most popular brown opals are found in Australia, including; Australian Brown Opal or Brown Australian Opal, and Australian Boulder Opal. 

What Is Chocolate Opal? 

Chocolate Opal, also known as Shewa Opal, Chocolate Brown Opal, or more simply, Brown Opal, is a unique type of Ethiopian Opal that displays a chocolate-brown opal body colour as well as opalescent play of colour, which tends to flash with red, green, orange, and yellow colours, similarly to fire opals.

Chocolate Opals are precious opals, which means they are iridescent precious opal gemstones that flash with a rainbow of opalescent colour. 

Precious opals are gem opals defined by their opalescence, a unique iridescent shimmer and play of colour across the opal gemstone's surface. 

Chocolate Opal Meaning

The meaning of Chocolate Opal is defined as a chocolate brown-coloured opal gemstone that is said to symbolize emotional support, nurture, and strength, as well as to foster a feeling of spiritual protection, spiritual grounding, and spiritual growth. 

Chocolate Opal Spiritual Meaning & Brown Opal Spiritual Meaning

The spiritual meaning of Chocolate Opal is protection, grounding, and emotional balance and stability.

Spiritually, a Chocolate Opal means nurture, safety, and peace. 

A Chocolate Opal exudes a calming spiritual energy attuned to the grounding energies of the Earth element. 

Like all Brown Opals, Chocolate Opals resonate powerfully with the Root Chakra (Base Chakra). 

Chocolate Opal Properties

Chocolate Opals have many unique properties, uses, and benefits that render them desirable to a wide range of gemstone collectors, crystal healers, and rock and mineral enthusiasts, amongst many other demographics. 

Chocolate Opal Metaphysical Properties

The metaphysical properties of Chocolate Opal, Brown Opal, and Shewa Opal include: 

• Creating feelings of peace, calm, and tranquility
• Providing a sense of stability, safety, and grounding
• Spiritual and emotional protection
• Inspiring creativity and imagination
• Improving will-power and motivation
• Boosting energy

Chocolate Opal Healing Properties

The healing properties of Chocolate Opal, Brown Opal, and Shewa Opal include: 

• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Stabilising mood and levelling out emotional ups and downs
• Reducing tiredness, sluggishness, and fatigue
• Reducing feelings of apathy and a lack of motivation
• Helping to break through creative blockages

What Is Chocolate Fire Opal? 

A Chocolate Fire Opal, or Brown Fire Opal, is simply a more specific name given to those precious chocolate opal gems that display exceptionally vivid opal fire or intense colourful flash in a range of vibrant colours. 

Like all Chocolate Opals, the Chocolate Fire Opal body colour is a lovely rich chocolate brown hue.

In a Chocolate Fire Opal, the opalescent play of colour dances and flashes mesmerisingly in an array of fiery hues; usually in shades of red, green, yellow, and orange; creating a colourful iridescent gemstone effect that is evocative of dancing flames. 

The opal fire of a Chocolate Fire Opal is akin to the fiery flash of Fire Opals, Ammolite, and Fire Ammonites (which are also known as Red Iridescent Ammonites). 

Where Is Chocolate Opal Found? 

Chocolate Opals are mostly found in Ethiopia, Africa, where they can only be found in a few specific locations. 

Ethiopian Chocolate Opals are found in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia.

Shewa Opals are the predominant type of Chocolate Opals found in Ethiopia, but some Ethiopian Welo Opals are also Chocolate Opals. 

Chocolate Shewa Opals are found in the North Shewa Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia, whilst Chocolate Welo Opals are found in the bordering South Wollo Zone of Amhara, Ethiopia (which, historically, was called "Wollo Province". 

Chocolate Opals can also be found in Oregon, USA, where they are called Oregon Chocolate Opal or Oregon Chocolate Fire Opal to distinguish them from Ethiopian Chocolate Opals and Ethiopian Chocolate Fire Opals. 

What Is Shewa Opal? 

Shewa Opal is a name given to Chocolate Opals found in the Shewa region of Ethiopia. 

Ethiopian Shewa Opals are found as natural raw chocolate opals in volcanic opal-bearing rock at Yita Ridge, which is a specific location within the opal field named the "Mezezo Opal Occurrence". 

A Raw Shewa Opal displays a gem opal as a nodule in volcanic rock (usually rhyolite), and this gem-quality opal nodule is a striking precious opal that showcases vibrantly colourful opalescence as a spectacular iridescent gemstone. 

Where Is Shewa Opal Found? 

Shewa Opals are found in Ethiopia, which is one of the leading sources globally for high-grade opal gemstones. 

Ethiopian Shewa Opals are found in North Shewa Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia; Shewa Opal is named after this location. 

More specifically, Chocolate Shewa Opal can be found within the Menz Gische District of North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia, hence why Shewa Opal is sometimes referred to as Menz Gische Opal. 

The opal mine where Chocolate Opal and Shewa Opal Gems are found is known as the Mezezo Opal Occurrence, named after the nearby Ethiopian city of Mezezo, which is why Shewa Opal is sometimes called Mezezo Opal Stone. 

Most specifically, chocolate opal nodules are mined from opal-bearing rock within the volcanic opal field of Yita Ridge, located in the Mezezo Opal Occurrence. 

Shewa Chocolate Opal Rock Type And Geology

Ethiopian Chocolate Opals or Ethiopian Shewa Opals are mined as opal nodules or natural opal geodes from the opal-bearing rock of Yita Ridge. 

This opal-bearing rock is siliceous volcanic rock, meaning that the rock is rich in silicate minerals.

The shewa opal-bearing rock type is rhyolite, and is more specifically designated as a nodular rhyolite rock, given that the rhyolite rock forms opal nodules. 

This unique chocolate opal-bearing rock has properties that are very similar to those of obsidian.

How Are Chocolate Shewa Opals Formed? 

Rough Shewa Opals form as nodules in layers of this rhyolite rock, appearing as gem opal deposits within natural opal nodules or natural opal geodes. 

Consequently, a Rough Chocolate Opal is a type of Ethiopian Opal Nodule which displays a chocolate opal gem within a rhyolite rock matrix. 

Uses Of Raw Chocolate Opal And Rough Shewa Opal

A Raw Chocolate Opal can be removed from its rock matrix and polished as a gemstone, however chocolate opal gems are popularly sold as natural chocolate opal geodes, still in their natural rock matrixes, in order to preserve the natural beauty of the opal stones. 

Commonly, a Raw Natural Chocolate Opal is a raw brown opal, rough brown opal, or natural brown opal showing a polished chocolate opal gem nodule nestled within an unpolished natural rock matrix.

Chocolate Opal Hardness On Mohs Scale

Chocolate Opal measures between 5.5 and 6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness. 

This means that Chocolate Opal is at a medium level of softness/ hardness, and is not as hard as minerals like Quartz.

Therefore, care should be taken to prevent damage to a Chocolate opal stone by handling it carefully and keeping it away from other stones, especially stones which have a higher hardness on the Mohs Scale. 

Chocolate Opal For Sale

At Madagascan Direct, we have a wide range of high-grade chocolate opal for sale online.

Our Chocolate opals for sale are genuine Ethiopian Chocolate Opals, authentic precious opals from Ethiopia, and real Shewa Opals. 

All of the Chocolate Shewa opals for sale at Madagascan Direct are high-quality Chocolate Fire Opals with fiery-coloured opalescent flash. 

Buy Chocolate Shewa Opals online now at Madagascan Direct. 

Appendix: Other Names For Chocolate Opal, Brown Opal, And Shewa Opal

Ethiopian Chocolate Opals are referred to by many different names, some of the most common being:

• Chocolate Opal
• Chocolate Brown Opal
  
• Shewa Opal
  
• Mezezo Opal
• Menz Gische Opal
  
• Ethiopian Brown Opal
  

Brown Opal Name

Brown Opals from Ethiopia are often given trade names that refer to the distinctive chocolate-brown body colour of the opal gem, as well as the location in which they were found. 

Ethiopian Brown Opal is also known as Brown Ethiopian Opal or African Brown Opal.

Chocolate Opal Name

Chocolate Opal is one such trade name for an Ethiopian opal with a chocolate-brown body colour, and it is sometimes referred to as Ethiopian Chocolate Opal or Chocolate Ethiopian Opal to distinguish it from brown opals found in other countries, such as Oregon Chocolate Opal. 

Shewa Opal Name

Another name for Chocolate Opal is Shewa Opal, or Ethiopian Shewa Opal, because most Ethiopian chocolate opals are found in the Shewa region of Ethiopia. 

Menz Gische Opal Name

Similarly, a Chocolate Opal/ Shewa Opal is also sometimes referred to as Menz Gische Opal, given that Shewa opals are found in the Menz Gische district of the Shewa region in Ethiopia. 

Mezezo Opal Name

Furthermore, a Shewa Opal can also be called a Mezezo Opal or Mezezo Opal Stone because Shewa Opals are specifically sourced from an opal mine near Mezezo, Ethiopia, which is named the Mezezo Opal Occurrence.