This Cartier brooch uses black opal, considered the most valuable opal because the dark background better showcases its brilliant colors. Photo courtesy Cartier.

Diamonds are often considered at the center of the world of high jewelry, but in contemporary times, color is taking center stage. And perhaps no gemstone exemplifies this current trend more than the radiant, multicolored opal. French fashion houses’ love of the opal began nearly ten years ago when Dior used 92 pieces of blue, green, and black opal to create a scintillating snake. The trend has been growing steadily since (and not just on Earth—check out the latest discovery on Mars). This year, Tiffany & Co. featured Australian opals in several of its Blue Book pieces. Cartier’s L’Odyssey de Cartier collection includes a necklace set that uses a reptilian-looking opal. These magical, uniquely colorful stones, put simply, make stunning jewelry centerpieces.

—July 2015