Opal is hydrated silica with no crystal structure, and it holds water. It is soft and can crack with heat or dryness, so it is worn gently.
Hydrated silica (mineraloid)
Opal
Ópalo
- Palette
- White Multicolor Black Blue
- Mined in
- Australia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Mexico, United States, Slovakia, Honduras, Peru, Canada, United Kingdom
- Hardness
- Mohs 5.5–6.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Latin opalus, probably from Sanskrit upala, 'precious stone'
- Also sold as
- precious opal, common opal, fire opal, boulder opal, black opal
- Intention
- Abundance Love
- Looking for
- Creativity Joy Love
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Opal beads vary: many are natural, some blue opal is dyed, and some opal beads are man-made from silica and resin. Doublets with a dark backing are also sold as opal.
Not in our pieces now
150 TO 300 NM
Precious opal's play of color comes from stacked silica spheres about 150 to 300 nanometers across.
9.1 METERS
The 17,000-carat Olympic Australis was dug up in 1956 at the Eight Mile field near Coober Pedy, only 9.1 meters (30 feet) underground.
3 TO 21%
Opal holds between 3 and 21 percent water by weight, usually 6 to 10 percent.
What it is
Opal is hydrated silica without a crystal structure. Precious opal shows play of color, flashes of rainbow from tiny packed silica spheres, while common opal is plain and milky. It holds 3 to 21 percent water.
What gives it its color
Play-of-color comes from tiny, evenly stacked silica spheres that split light into rainbow flashes (diffraction).
Where it comes from
Australia is the main source (Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge for black opal, Queensland for boulder opal); Ethiopia (Wollo) and Mexico (fire opal from Querétaro) are other major sources.
In history
Roman writers such as Pliny the Elder ranked opal among the most prized gems, and until large Australian fields opened in the 19th century the only known source was Cervenica in present-day Slovakia. Napoleon gave Josephine a now-lost opal called the Burning of Troy, and a 17,000-carat opal found at Coober Pedy in 1956 is named the Olympic Australis.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, opal is the stone of creativity and inspiration. It's said to be kept by people who want to try something new and to feel more open to others.
In ancient Rome it was ranked just below the emerald. The idea that opal is unlucky is far newer, and it began with a nineteenth-century novel.
People wear it as a ring or pendant, or keep it on a creative workspace.
How people wear or keep it: As a ring or pendant, on a creative workspace, in a meditation space, or held in the non-dominant hand.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, opal is paired with the crown chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: as a ring or pendant, on a creative workspace, in a meditation space. People reach for it when they want creativity, joy, love, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraCrown
BirthstoneOctober
Anniversary14th
ElementWater
Also calledprecious opal, common opal, fire opal
Care
- Soft and holds water, so it can scratch easily and crack if dried out or heated.
- Keep it away from heat, dry air and hard knocks.
- Do not soak it or use salt, ultrasonic cleaners or chemicals.
- Wipe with a soft damp cloth and store it wrapped.
How to tell what you have
- Opal is hydrated silica with no crystal structure; precious opal flashes rainbow colors, common opal does not.
- Genuine opal contains no resin or plastic. Lab-made opal often shows a lizard-skin or chicken-wire pattern under magnification.
- A doublet is a thin slice of opal glued to a dark backing, and a triplet adds a clear cap, so check the side of the stone for the join. Opal darkens and can crack with heat, so keep it cool.
What sets the price
Price follows how bright and wide-ranging the flashes of color are, how closely they are set rather than tiny scattered dots, how dark or clear the body is, and whether the bead is solid natural opal rather than man-made or layered.
Rules and sourcing
Some blue opal is dyed, some opal beads are man-made from silica and resin, and doublets with a dark backing are sold as opal. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose dye, and man-made or composite material must not be called plain opal.
Questions people ask at our table
What is opal?
Opal is hydrated silica, silicon dioxide with water locked inside, and it has no crystal structure. Precious opal flashes color because of tiny regularly stacked silica spheres.
Is opal really bad luck?
No. That reputation traces to a nineteenth-century novel, and before that opal was commonly seen as lucky. It is an October birthstone.
Why is opal so fragile?
It is soft, at about 5.5 to 6, and it contains water. Heat, dry air and sudden change can make it craze or crack, so many jewelers set it with care.
How can I tell real opal from imitation?
Glass imitations have been made since Roman times. Real precious opal shows color that changes as you tilt it, and a glass look-alike tends to show one fixed color.
Do you carry opal?
Not at the moment. Moonstone gives a similar glow and white quartz is a clear, sturdier choice, and we carry both.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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