Is Opal the Same as Opalite?
Natural Opalite (As Opposed to the Man Made Opalite) Shares the Same Basic Chemical Properties as Opal. It Is Made of Tiny Spheres of Silicon Dioxide Which...
Natural Opalite (as opposed to the man made Opalite) shares the same basic chemical properties as Opal. It is made of tiny spheres of Silicon Dioxide which stack onto each other in a pyramid grid shape. This grid is what allows the cat's eye effect to be displayed when the stone is cut into a high domed cabochon.
How can you tell the difference between opalite and opal?
It has a unique green appearance, so it is easy to tell the difference between the natural stone and the man-made version of Opalite. When the stone is cut into a cabochon and it begins to display a cat's eye effect, that is when it is called Opalite Cat's Eye.
Is opalite a real gemstone?
Opalite is a man-made variety of glass. It's NOT a gemstone, not opal or moonstone or quartz, but is just a very pretty glass and its trade name is Opalite. It is also used to promote impure varieties of variously colored common opal. Opalite is sometimes called the Tiffany Stone or Bertrandite.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
