Description and properties of white opal - is the stone as perfect as they say?

Physical properties of the stone

From a mineralogical point of view, white opal is amorphous silica. It does not have a crystal lattice. Since ancient times, stone has absorbed the remains of dead animals, birds and withered plants, so fossils found in opals are a common occurrence for archaeologists. Thanks to its amorphous structure, it can fill voids in the host rocks and create deposits of the most bizarre shapes.

The stone comes in different shades. It can be light white, but darker milky opal is also found. It can be glossy, with pearlescent tints, or matte, with a complete lack of transparency.

Despite the fact that the stone does not have particular strength and hardness, its price can be very high. When exposed to an area of ​​too much humidity or heat, it swells and cracks. If you take it in your hands, you get the impression that a person is touching some special type of glass.

Since a gem can contain up to 30% water, in mineralogy it is “recorded” as hyalites - water stones.

White opal, like other varieties of this mineral, has an opalescent effect. It glows red, green, pearl or blue. There is a completely opaque milky-white variety called cacholong. It most closely resembles glass, but looks even more unusual than its “relatives” with higher transparency.

Jewelers believe that the more transparent the opal, the more noble it is, so milky white minerals are not valued as highly. The color scheme of gems depends on where they were found and what impurities they contain.

In mineralogy you can find the following description of the “light opal” stone:

• may contain impurities of iron, magnesium, calcium oxide;
• the hardness index on the Mohs scale is low, ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 units;
• density from 1.96 to 2.2 g/cm3;
• a mineral with a conchoidal fracture and a refractive index from 1.44 to 1.46;
• very fragile;
• absence of cleavage, dispersion, pleochroism, double refraction;
• has amorphous syngony;
• glows differently, giving off a waxy, pearlescent, dull or greasy sheen.

Species diversity of white opals

The main criterion for dividing white opal into types is the color of the stone. So, based on this parameter, the following varieties of white opals are distinguished:

• Milky white or reed opals;
• Milky opals or cacholongs;
• White opals.

The most valuable from the point of view of jewelry is the type of milk cacholongs.

The popularity of opals is due to their expanded color range. Its opalescence varies from transparent pearlescent to blue, and the stone can also play with blue, green, yellow and milky white shades.

Healing and magical properties

The healing properties of white opal allow it to “assess” whether a person is healthy or not. The slightest change in color may mean the development of some disease, and the mineral thus tries to take on the disease, protecting the owner. Among the healing qualities of the stone, lithotherapists especially note the following:

• improved vision;
• normalization of metabolic processes;
• development of stress resistance in humans;
• increased mood;
• calming the nerves;
• elimination of female diseases and infertility;
• removal of harmful substances from the body;
• slowing down aging.

All opals of light shades are held in high esteem by white magicians and esotericists, as they also carry magical properties. White gems awaken people's thirst for knowledge, so they are recommended to be worn by schoolchildren, students and all people whose activities are related to learning and teaching.

Opals also develop an intuitive plane and clairvoyant abilities. They sharpen emotions at the right moments in life, provide protection from the evil eye and damage, and help develop patience and kindness.

Composition and deposit

Every opal contains water. Black samples are no exception. They consist of silicic acid and water. The mineral is an amorphous variation of quartz, that is, it lacks a crystalline structure.

Gemologists believe that it is fair to call the mineral a gel. It is distinguished from stone by its increased liquid content (up to 30%). A mineral from a group of rocks of organic origin. He constantly needs to replenish his moisture reserves. Failure to do so will lead to its destruction.

Minerals are found in different parts of the world. Most often and most in:

• Ethiopia;
• Brazil;
• in Mexico;
• America;
• Indonesia.

The overwhelming majority of the rock represented in the world, however, is mined in Australia, therefore, just as fire opal is called Mexican, black opal is called Australian.

How to spot a fake

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish a fake, but it is possible. Natural stones are characterized by floating and soft tints, and glass will immediately hit your eyes with sharp monochrome reflections. If you expose a real gem to the rays of the sun, it will shine with all the shades of the rainbow. Glass does not have this ability.

Sometimes air bubbles are clearly visible inside the glass. In extreme cases, you can even lick the product. If it is fake, you will feel it stuck to the surface of your tongue.

If possible, experiment with colored or contaminated water. Natural opal will immediately change its color, but the glass will remain the same.

Artificially grown white opals are often found on sale. This practice is used in Russia, Japan, China and a number of other countries. To create artificial opals, complex laboratory conditions are created that are as close to natural as possible. Such technologies are very expensive, and the time required to grow such specimens can be from 1.5 years.

Space stone in jewelry

Jewelry with black opal - rings, earrings and pendants are especially inimitable. The gem looks elegant in silver and gold. Precious metals double its strength and reveal its energy. Quite often, opal is combined with other gems, thus creating fashionable doublets or triplets.

You need to choose jewelry with black stones from trusted sales outlets, or even better, order it individually for yourself. In this way, you will be able to eliminate the purchase of imitation rock or stone that has already been used. And it doesn’t matter how much the finished product costs. The main thing is the positive energy of the opal and an impeccable reputation.

Friends, I’ll end here. Tell your friends about the mysterious guest from outer space, share the post and photo of this unique nugget!

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White opal and zodiac signs

White opals are perfect for Cancers, Scorpios and Pisces. They grant these zodiac signs protection from evil forces, development of intuition and communication abilities. For Aquarius and Libra, the mineral will help solve financial problems and move up the career ladder.

Zodiac sign Sagittarius should wear opal carefully, restraining temper and aggressiveness. The same goes for Aries. If you cannot control your violent temper, it is better to refrain from wearing a white stone.

The rest of the zodiac representatives can freely wear the white mineral, but it is ideal for them to wear such jewelry only on special occasions.

Price

Jewelry presented on the jewelry market is divided into two segments: gold and silver.

Cost of gold products (RUB):

• earrings – 32,190;
• brooch – 46 290;
• bracelet – 28,190;
• ring – 25,490.

Gold earrings with opal
Silver jewelry (RUB):

• earrings – 8 190;
• ring – 4 290;
• suspension – 990;
• brooch – 5 590.

This is an average price: the range includes products with different combinations of stones, massive opal inserts and frames.

Stone care

Since the gem is fragile, it requires careful handling when worn. You need to wash it with a soft brush in a weak soap solution, then rinse gently under running water, wrap it in a damp cloth and leave for several hours. Dry the opal in sunlight, the main thing is not to overexpose it so that it does not change its color or fade.

Do not allow gems to come into contact with any other detergent (except water and soap during cleaning). For storage, select suitable containers with walls lined with soft fabric. You need to put jewelry in the box after wrapping it in a soft rag.

White opal is a stone of amazing beauty. Despite its fragility and vulnerability to the environment, it is always popular among jewelry lovers. With careful care, the gem will delight the owner with its unique and delicate beauty for a long time.

In folk medicine

The luxurious and sparkling stone is actively used not only as inserts for jewelry, rosaries, bracelets and amulets. Traditional healers believe in its healing properties and recommend that everyone who suffers from eye diseases look at the sparkling opal for a long time from time to time to stabilize eye pressure.

Healers and healers believe in the power of the stone as a remedy against diseases of the cardiovascular system. Minerals are also used to treat the genitourinary tract, focusing on its powerful power when it comes to potency in men (they suggest wearing a man’s ring with an opal) and inflammation in women (a ring or bracelet on the hand will also help).

A pendant, earrings or beads with black opal help get rid of colds and protect against viral infections.

The magic of jewelry

The main metaphysical property of the gem is considered to help in assessing specific periods of life. Opal gives an almost instantaneous understanding of events, the meaning of which under normal conditions is comprehended only years later. But this is not its only useful quality.

Therapeutic effect

Lithotherapists widely use the capabilities of opal. Jewelry with it solves the following problems:

• earrings – vulnerability of the central nervous system, reduced resistance to stress;
• necklace, brooch – heart disease, gastrointestinal tract;
• bracelet – muscular system (tics, cramps);
• pendant – infections;
• earrings – vision; you can contemplate a pebble;
• ring - potency.

Opal normalizes the functioning of the pituitary gland and pineal gland. To make the effect stronger, choose an accessory closer to the problem area.

Magic properties

The magical properties of opal are used by the official church, sorcerers and ordinary people. For residents of South America, this is a channel of communication with other worlds; in Europe, it is an attribute of the ladies of the demimonde.

The color of the opal in the jewelry matters:

• white - decorations make a person correct, virtuous, patient, forgiving; protect from moral failures;
• black is the stone of magicians and sorcerers; in others it sharpens the mind, but awakens vices; the owner of black opals will have to balance on the brink, problems await the weak-willed;
• blue is the best helper on the way to the goal; the owner becomes a clairvoyant (especially with a purple stone);
• fiery – in men it shows strength, confidence, self-sufficiency, and other masculine attributes; in women – female (also yellow Ethiopian opal).

Brooch with blue opal
The magical properties of the gem help purposeful people: if a person grabs everything at once, the opal is useless or dangerous.

Esotericists advise wearing a gold ring with an opal on the middle finger, alternately on both hands during the day. Gold increases the magical capabilities of opal.

The stone senses the moral state of the owner and loves to be with him. But taking a break from each other won't hurt.

Zodiac

Opals are suitable for all zodiac signs; the type and color of the jewelry insert matters:

• Pisces - any;
• Scorpio – black;
• Taurus - everything except black and dark;
• Aquarius – black;
• Gemini - any twinkling;
• Libra – red;
• Virgo, Capricorn – fiery;
• Cancer – red, black.

The stones are energetically incompatible with Sagittarius, Aries, and Leo. As a last resort, choose white or blue opal. They suit all signs. The main thing is that the owner of the jewelry believes in himself.

Products with synthetic opal can be worn by any zodiac sign.