An opaque variety of opal. The color of the opal is the shimmering glow of the stone. Variety of colors. A photo. Fashion trend: opal hair

Opal stone is a stone of marvelous beauty, which is one of the most frequently found in nature. The uniqueness of this mineral occupies one of the extraordinary places among other precious stones. The extraordinary appeal of opal captivates any connoisseur of the aristocratic and sophisticated. A specific feature is iridescent overflows, enhanced by the phenomenon of opalescence. The silvery-pink and dull white reflections in the middle of the stone are very eye-catching. There are stones in nature various colors and shades. Iridescent blotches in the bowels of the mineral give its appearance a truly inexplicable charm.

Rainbow opal is a stone of fabulous charm. In various corners of the world, in different lands and in different countries, there are all kinds of legends about the origin inherent in the culture of individual nationalities.
Mention in ancient writings about the triumph of Zeus over the titans. When the tears of joy of the supreme god falling to the ground turned into stones of heavenly beauty.

In Australia, there is a belief about the creator of the world. He appeared in his offspring intending to pass on his knowledge to the living, and his power was so pure that his traces were covered with iridescent stones.
In India, there is a legend about the origin of opals, dedicated to the goddess of love. The woman, leaving the persecution of men, stumbled and fell to the ground at the same moment scattered into many amazing stones.

Types of opals and their deposits

The first discovery of opals was in an area belonging to modern Latin America. It is also mined in Slovakia, India, Russia, Hungary, Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Czech Republic. The leading place in the extraction of expensive minerals belongs to Australia. Almost 90% of the most valuable opals entering the world market are mined here.
Many centuries ago, on the banks of reservoirs near volcanoes, trees grew, losing branches. And decaying wood through the ashes from volcanoes became opals.

From the position of scientists, all types of opal are xyloids or trees eventually adopted a stony cut. They also have a name - "volcanic stones", after all, they are formed in the voids that remain after the explosion of volcanoes. Opals were usually formed in the soil and floristic sphere. These stones contain elements of the natural environment such as water, minerals and crystals. They are easy to spot, because they look like smooth wood and are on the surface of the earth. The name of such a stone was recorded in ancient legends, it meant "noble stone." It follows that a person has received knowledge about this stone for a long time.

black opal

Natural opal is dark, not necessarily black. One of the most expensive versions of noble opals.

Also, alternative healing suggests using the stone to treat the eyes. The gem will restore visual acuity if it is used correctly: within five minutes, they should massage the “third eye” zone with it. The healing power of the stone is enhanced if it is not just applied, but an imaginary cross is drawn over the diseased area.

Blue opal (Peruvian) is endowed with great healing power. It is the best relaxing stone and is amazing for meditation. It is used to calm excessive emotionality, relieve mental anxiety, restore healthy sleep. A stone from the foot of the Andes relieves tension in a conversation, sets you in a confident mood. Also, noble opal enhances the courage of its owner.

A talisman with this gem will certainly ensure success in your endeavors, but with the condition that its owner will be a noble person who has overcome the passion for profit and selfishness. Also, the stone will have a salutary effect on melancholic people who are prone to thoughts of suicide and on dreamers who hover in a world of unrealistic, unrealizable hopes. An opal in a silver frame is suitable for them - a pendant or a keychain.

For natures with an unstable temperament, this mineral is not suitable for amulets. It can become a real “stone of evil” for them, as it gives rise to suspiciousness, suspicions, quarrels, and fear. And all because the gem has a strong energy. Opal directs its magical properties with such a powerful stream that a weak, unbalanced person simply cannot cope with them and becomes unhappy.

The meaning of the stone for the signs of the zodiac

Zodiac sign in harmony with the energy of the gem: Libra
The planet that controls the magical power of the stone: Venus, Moon
The period of greatest activity of therapeutic and magical properties: September 23 - October 22
Most Stone Activity Day: Friday
Incompatible zodiac sign with opal: Aries

Data-lazy-type="image" data-src="https://karatto.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/vesu-.jpg" alt="(!LANG:Libra" width="60" height="60">!} Scales. These are, as a rule, balanced people who value order and perfectionists. Opal is ideal for Libra, and a mineral of any color can serve as a talisman.
Capricorn. Like Libra, the sign symbolizes calmness. And the gem supports this property of character. But sometimes, under the guise of harmonious peace and equanimity, Capricorns hide uncertainty and fear. Capricorns need a magic stone to replenish the lack of self-confidence, hope and peace.

Jpg" alt="(!LANG:Scorpio" width="60" height="60"> Скорпион. Творческим и мистическим натурам подойдут камни черного цвета, в том числе и вид «матрикс». Красивый переливчатый талисман уменьшит агрессивность и злую энергию Скорпионов.!}

Jpg" alt="(!LANG:Cancer" width="60" height="45"> Рак. Талисман с самоцветом молочного окраса будет хорошим оберегом. Такой опал часто называют лунным, а Луна – верный покровитель этого знака.!}

Jpg" alt="(!LANG:Pisces" width="60" height="60"> Рыбы. Их тоже опекает ночное светило, потому амулет с этим камнем лучше подбирать из неяркой, полупрозрачной палитры.!}

Jpg" alt="(!LANG:Lion" width="60" height="60"> Льву лучше не связываться с ним из-за неподходящей энергетики, в крайнем случае, выбрать белый или голубой.!}

Jpg" alt="(!LANG:Sagittarius" width="60" height="60">.jpg" alt="Aries" width="60" height="60"> Другим знакам стихии Огня – Стрельцам и Овнам – тоже следует с осторожностью носить самоцвет, в выборе талисмана лучше отдать предпочтение другому минералу.!}

Jpg" alt="(!LANG:Gemini" width="60" height="58"> Близнецы. Знак, на который самоцвет никак не влияет. Поэтому любое украшение с камнем можно носить без опаски, вреда он не причинит, но и особой пользы тоже не будет.!}

It is difficult to refuse jewelry with opal. Stones of noble types are especially enchanting. Real natural opal amazes with playful highlights and multi-colored rays. They are born in the depths of the stone and disappear into nowhere. A feature of the natural mineral is floating lights, which is not in artificial stones. And no technology can achieve this. No matter how good synthetic counterparts are, the pristine beauty of the rainbow gem cannot be surpassed.

Opal- a mineral belonging to semi-precious stones, which is widely used in the manufacture of jewelry. Opals differ in a variety of colors:

Transparent and colorless
- red and pink
- dairy and beige
- amber yellow and of course black

A rich color palette depends on the presence of certain impurities in the composition of the mineral - nickel, iron, manganese and others.

Most Common Opal Colors

black opal

This is the most valuable and rare variety of this mineral, which is especially valued in the jewelry industry. In fact, black opals are not "pure" black, as they are called for their incredible depth filled with iridescent colors.

red opal

It is found in almost all varieties of the mineral. Red opals, usually of Mexican, Australian, or Ethiopian origin.

green opal

This is the most common and relatively inexpensive variety of opals. There are several varieties of green opals.

The most common opal color among Australian minerals. Blue looks very advantageous in combination with silver and combines well with classic yellow gold.

White, milky and pink opal

Only ignoble opal is completely white. White is considered to be stones with a light substrate or no substrate at all. Pink opals are mined in Peru, milk opals are mined in Cacholong, and transparent, like glass, in Gialita.

Among the many types of opals, jewelers are especially valued:

Fiery. These are translucent stones from a rich hyacinth red to wine-yellow hue.

Peruvian (blue opal). The mineral is mined in Peru, has a bluish-green tint.

Chizopal. Differs in juicy apple-green color, is opaque.

Arquelin. A stone with an intricate mosaic pattern that shimmers in different colors: yellow, blue, red, green.

Royal. This opal is dark red, and sometimes purple, in color with a bright green border.

All noble opals, regardless of color, are characterized by a peculiar iridescent overflow - opalization.

mineral Opal

English name: Opal

This mineral is different in that it does not have a crystal structure, unlike other minerals. The stone has a very low hardness. Opal is distinguished by beautiful tints. This color effect is called opalescence. Minerals that have this effect are of particular value, so they are classified as precious stones.

Opal Properties

The composition of this stone includes silicon dioxide and water, the amount of which depends on the color and cost. The volume of water can be more than 30%, its content affects not only the final price, but also the properties of the mineral. Expensive stones have a fairly low water content. A large amount of it affects transparency: the higher the liquid content, the more transparent the stone. If the stone is "dry", then its transparency is low, and it is likely that it will crack and crumble.

Stone deposits

Almost all the stones in the world are mined on the Australian continent, only 10% of the minerals are found in other countries. Before Australian deposits were discovered, opal was mined in the Czech Republic. Some of the most beautiful are stones mined in North America. There are deposits both in Ukraine and in Russia.

Opal Jewelry

This mineral has been precious for a long time. Products with opal are of high value and have incredible beauty. Unfortunately, opalescence is not enhanced by cutting, so the stone is treated with a different technique that makes its surface smooth.

But products with this mineral require constant wear, as it can dry out. Wearing such products requires caution: the stone should not come into contact with cleaning products, cleaning agents and acids. You need to take care of it as follows: the product must be washed in soapy water, and then kept for a couple of hours in a napkin soaked in plain water. After that, the stone must be dried, for which ordinary sunlight is perfect.

Previously, jewelers used oil to preserve opal, and when creating jewelry the stone was set in a frame. In modern production, a special artificial resin began to be used to preserve moisture.

Varieties of opals

Opal owes its color to the oxides of various chemical elements that make up its composition. There are more than 40 varieties of opals, and specimens of milky, orange-red and dark blue colors are of particular value in the jewelry industry. The stone is evaluated by the level of opalescence, overflows and play of color.

Chemical composition

Very fickle. The water content ranges from 1 to 21%, occasionally higher. The following varieties are distinguished: precious (noble) opal, characterized by opalescence and play of colors; hydroopal - highly porous, transparent in water; hyalite (glass opal), which forms stalactites or globular secretions.

Physical Properties

Strong internal reflexes, opalescence.
Transparency. Translucent, opaque.
Syngony. Amorphous (does not form crystals).
Discharge form. Reniform discharge, nodules.

The following varieties are distinguished: precious (noble) opal, characterized by opalescence and play of colors; hydroopal - highly porous, transparent in water; hyalite (glass opal), which forms stalactites or globular secretions. Color. Colorless, white, yellow, red, brown, blue. Shine. Bold, pearly, waxy. Strong internal reflexes, opalescence. Transparency. Translucent, opaque. Damn. White. Hardness. 5.5-6.5, fragile. Density. 1.9-2.5. Break. Conchoidal, uneven Syngony. Amorphous Form of secretions. Reniform discharge, nodules. P. tr. Doesn't melt. behavior in acids. Soluble in HF.

Mineral properties

Origin of name: from ancient Indian upala - gem
Luminescence: yellow-green (uranyl)
IM status: valid, first described before 1959 (before IMA)
Strunz (8th edition): 4/D.01-80
Hey's CIM Ref.: 7.8.8
Dana (8th edition): 75.2.1.1
Molecular weight: 87.11
Density (measured): 1.9 - 2.3 g/cm3
Specific gravity: 1,9 - 2,5
Selection form: Discharge form. Reniform discharge, nodules
Chemical formula: SiO 2 + H 2 O
Syngony: amorphous
Color: Colorless, white, yellow, red, brown, blue
Dash color: White
Shine: oily wax pearlescent
Transparency: transparent translucent opaque
Cleavage: not visible
Break: smooth conchoidal uneven
Hardness: 5,5 6 6,5
Fragility: Yes
Additionally: Doesn't melt. behavior in acids. Soluble in hydrofluoric acid.

Photo of the mineral

Opal is an amorphous variety of quartz
Black opal is very expensive - $ 20,000 for 2 g. The largest opals are found in Australia.

Amorphous silica SiO 2º nH 2 O, water content usually in the range from 1 to 5%, but sometimes up to 20% and maximum (rarely) up to 34%. All opals lose some of their water when they dry. When heated, some varieties of opals give off the main part of the water up to 100 ° C, others - above this temperature. A typical solid hydrogel. Widely used in jewelry.

See also:

STRUCTURE

The structure of opals is very peculiar: opal is built from polymerized filaments of amorphous silica with fragments of a more regular structure of quartz, and often also tridymite. The filaments are folded or collected into globules - spherical formations of a consistent size with a diameter of about 1000 A. The globules, in turn, are regularly arranged in a package that is close in configuration to the densest cubic, sometimes hexagonal; water is placed between the globules, which additionally binds them. The resulting regular structure according to the scale of periodicity corresponds to the wavelengths of visible light and is capable of causing interference phenomena that provide the opalescence effect so valued in jewelry and ornamental opals.

PROPERTIES

The color is varied and is due to Ch. way of impurities. Opal itself is colorless, usually transparent to white. Milky blue, gray, red, yellow, green, brown and black colors are also characteristic, depending on the features of the internal structure and the composition of impurities. The line is white. Matte gloss, oily. Hardness 5 - 5.5; density 1.9 - 2.5 g / cm 3. Fragile, fracture from uneven to conchoidal. It cracks a lot under the blowpipe, but does not melt. Does not decompose in acids. Quite easily soluble in alkalis. Birefringence, dispersion, pleochroism are absent. Luminescence: for whites - white, blue, reddish, greenish; for blacks - all the colors of the rainbow; in fiery - greenish to brown. The water content is usually in the range from 3 to 13%, but sometimes up to 30%

MORPHOLOGY

The form of isolation is amorphous glassy masses with a sintered external form, often making cracks in various types breeds. It often forms sinter forms in voids, nodules, pseudomorphs on organic residues and some minerals. It can pass into a crystalline state, crystallizing into cryptocrystalline aggregates of fine-grained quartz and/or chalcedony.
It is the main component of some living organisms, composing the shells of diatoms, sniculi of sponges, skeletons of radiolarians, partly of some foraminifers and bryozoans, for which colloidal solutions (sols) of silica serve as food. Due to the presence of silica, the skeletons of these organisms are in most cases perfectly preserved in the fossil state, even in the most ancient deposits. Silica hydroxides are also found in cereal straws, hard nodules in horsetails, and especially in the knots of bamboo and other plants that absorb silica sols from the soil with their roots. Silica sols are able to impregnate dead tree trunks and, depositing opal, completely replace them with the preservation of all the details of the structure (“woody opal”).

ORIGIN

The origin is sedimentary, supergene or low-temperature-hydrothermal.
It is deposited from thermal springs and geysers in volcanic areas in the form of siliceous tuff and geyserite, sometimes in the form of white translucent deposits with a mother-of-pearl tint. It is also common in voids and cracks in effusive rocks, in particular in the form of geodes and tonsils, sometimes forms layers in agates and in the sedimentation tanks of agate geodes.
However, in the main mass, opal is formed under exogenous conditions during the decomposition of silicates in the process of weathering of rocks of various compositions, most often ultramafic ones. Silica, released during the disintegration of silicate crystalline structures, initially passes into a sol, during the coagulation of which it precipitates in the eluvium zone in the form of sinter nodules or is deposited metasomatically, often together with hydroxides of iron, aluminum and other elements, filling cracks or replacing areas of various primary mountain breeds.

Large masses of opal are deposited by sedimentation in the form of layers in the process of coagulation of silica sols brought by river waters or accumulated during the life of living organisms in the coastal zones of marine basins; this is how flasks, tripoli, diatomites and other loose or finely porous more or less strong siliceous rocks.

APPLICATION

Noble opal belongs to precious stones; the best specimens are highly valued. The largest opal, found near Coober Pedy in 1956, is estimated at 2.5 million Australians. dollars. To better show off the color play of precious opals, they are given round or oval cabochons or other softly domed shapes, depending on how the raw material allows it.
Opal doublets are often used in serial jewelry - polished opal plates glued to onyx, obsidian, black glass or ordinary opal.
Due to the low hardness of opal, when creating jewelry, craftsmen make frames that protect them. Previously, the surface of the opal was covered with oil, then they switched to soaking the opals with a colorless artificial resin.

Rocks consisting of opal diatomite, tripoli and flask are raw materials for cement, fillers and other building materials.
Opal is the official stone symbol of South Australia and the Australian women's national basketball team The Opals.

Opal (English Opal) - SiO 2 * nH 2 O

CLASSIFICATION

Strunz (8th edition)	4/D.01-80
Nickel-Strunz (10th edition)	4.DA.10
Dana (8th edition)	75.2.1.1
Hey's CIM Ref.	7.8.8