Beauty in the Broken Places: Lessons from the Opal

At first glance, the opal is an unassuming gem.

It begins as something simple—even common—made from desert dust, sand, and silica.

There’s nothing particularly noteworthy in its raw form. Just plain particles, tossed by the wind.

But something remarkable happens when water seeps in.

Over time, water saturates the silica.

It settles in, fills in the empty …