What Makes Opal . . . Opal?
Stambolian Peruvian Pink opal and pearl earrings. 1stDibs Think of opal, and undoubtedly a white opaque cabochon stone with rainbow flecks of color comes to mind. You'd be right of course. So Much More But there's so much more to opal, and some of its examples would escape anyone's perception of true opal. So what exactly makes an opal, an opal ? Opal's Curious Composition First off, it's the material which collectively heaps all opal varieties together. And that is a hydrated silica. It is not organized in a crystal habit like most hard gemstones. Under high magnification, the interior set up of opal looks like a massive array of micro-miniature bubbles. Water Please Hydration seems like a funny word to associate with a hard rock but in the case of opal, it's essential to its staying power. Captured inside its amorphous silica cells is indeed water. Some varieties hold up to 21% hydration by weight. Note This Opal should be protected against sudden and ext...
