Opal is silica with water trapped in its structure — up to a fifth of its weight — and the famous play of colour comes from light diffracting between microscopic silica spheres. It is a stone that is partly water, which the tradition never forgot. One thing it is not: opalite, the man-made iridescent glass often sold beside it. Different material entirely, and any honest listing says which is which.
What opal is used for
The old reputation is amplification of feeling — a mirror for the inner world, intensifying whatever you bring to it, which is why superstition calls it unlucky for the unready. Creativity and emotional honesty are its modern territory. October's birthstone.
A worn stone rather than a working one — and buy it from the actual photograph, since no two opals repeat.
How to care for it
Fragile; keep hydrated, avoid harsh cleaning. It is fragile and it can dry out: keep it from heat, harsh cleaning and knocks. A damp cloth occasionally does more good than harm — the one stone that likes a little moisture.
In the shop
We don’t currently stock opal — the supply that meets our standard comes and goes. These are the stones we do have:
Stones that keep it company
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