There are many different types of opal stones found across the globe. They come in very many forms of opal jewelry found in many online jewelry stores. Some of them include beautiful blue opal rings as well as pieces which feature white opals and the stunning fire and matrix opals. Below are types of opal stones their uses and pictures. This can come in handy if you want to know more about these stones.
The first one is the precious opal; this opal reveals different interplay of internal hues even though in real sense it’s a mineraloid. It contains an internal structure, and at a micro scale, it’s made up of silica spheres which are between one hundred and fifty to three hundred millimeters.
Precious opal
The ordered spheres of silica are the ones concerned with the production of internal colors by interference and diffraction of light that passes through the tiny structure of the opal gemstone. The determination of the quality of precious opal depends on the regularity of the sizes and the packing of spheres.
Uses: As the other opal a stone, the precious opal gemstone is used in jewelry, in bracelets earrings, rings, wedding bands studs etc.
Common Opal
This is the non-gem quality and might come in several variations. Most of the common opals are generally opaque and do not display color plays. Some of these varieties include
This type gemstone opal contains a predominant blue-black to dark-gray display of the play of coloration.
Uses: In expensive jewelry like the blue opal rings.
Boulder opal
This type of gemstone opal has concretions and filled fractures in a dark siliceous ironstone matrix.
Uses: Used in a variety of high-end jewelry and as a collection.= in its own right.
Fire opals
These opal gemstones have warm body colors of yellow, red or orange. Normally they don’t show color play although they would reveal bright green sparkles. These are transparent to translucent opals with warm body colors of yellow, orange, orange-yellow or red. Sometimes they are given a reference of jelly opals. Their most common source is the state of Querétaro in Mexico. These opals are primarily known as Mexican fire opals.
Uses: Fore opals are featured in a variety of jewelry pieces and also as Mexico's national gemstone.
Cantera Opal
If they are hard enough to allow polishing and cutting, at times, the Cantera Opal are cut within their ryholitic host material to give an allowance for polishing and cutting. The Cantera Opal is actually Mexican opals.
Uses: Jewelry
Mexican Water Opal
They have no color and show either a bluish or golden internal sheen.
Uses: These opals are popular in necklaces and rings as they catch the light and offer versatile relfections and color matching.
Girasol opal
This gemstone is a type of halite opal that reveals a bluish sparkle or sheen that follows the light source around. It does not have the play of color as the precious opal but has an effect from microscopic inclusions. It is commonly referred to as the water opal, whose origin is Mexico.
Uses: Jewelry and collection.
The ordered spheres of silica are the ones concerned with the production of internal colors by interference and diffraction of light that passes through the tiny structure of the opal gemstone. The determination of the quality of precious opal depends on the regularity of the sizes and the packing of spheres.
Uses: As the other opal a stone, the precious opal gemstone is used in jewelry, in bracelets earrings, rings, wedding bands studs etc.
Common Opal
This is the non-gem quality and might come in several variations. Most of the common opals are generally opaque and do not display color plays. Some of these varieties include
- Milk – Milky bluish to green in color
- Resin – Yellowish resinous luster
- Menilite – Grayish or brownish in hue
- Hyaliten– Clear, colorless occasionally referred to as Muller's Glass
This type gemstone opal contains a predominant blue-black to dark-gray display of the play of coloration.
Uses: In expensive jewelry like the blue opal rings.
Boulder opal
This type of gemstone opal has concretions and filled fractures in a dark siliceous ironstone matrix.
Uses: Used in a variety of high-end jewelry and as a collection.= in its own right.
Fire opals
These opal gemstones have warm body colors of yellow, red or orange. Normally they don’t show color play although they would reveal bright green sparkles. These are transparent to translucent opals with warm body colors of yellow, orange, orange-yellow or red. Sometimes they are given a reference of jelly opals. Their most common source is the state of Querétaro in Mexico. These opals are primarily known as Mexican fire opals.
Uses: Fore opals are featured in a variety of jewelry pieces and also as Mexico's national gemstone.
Cantera Opal
If they are hard enough to allow polishing and cutting, at times, the Cantera Opal are cut within their ryholitic host material to give an allowance for polishing and cutting. The Cantera Opal is actually Mexican opals.
Uses: Jewelry
Mexican Water Opal
They have no color and show either a bluish or golden internal sheen.
Uses: These opals are popular in necklaces and rings as they catch the light and offer versatile relfections and color matching.
Girasol opal
This gemstone is a type of halite opal that reveals a bluish sparkle or sheen that follows the light source around. It does not have the play of color as the precious opal but has an effect from microscopic inclusions. It is commonly referred to as the water opal, whose origin is Mexico.
Uses: Jewelry and collection.