Collection: Opals
The body color or matrix in Opal can be white, colorless, pale yellow, pale red, brown, gray or black depending on the host rock and the level of impurities. Internal diffraction of light causes flashes of any color across the entire spectrum (opalescence). The physical structure of opal is unique, with tiny spheres of silicon dioxide having orientated themselves during the solidification of a mineraloid gel, into pyramid shaped grids interspersed with water molecules. A combination of the size and spacing of the spheres and tiny natural faults between the grid layout, causes light to be split into its constituent spectrum of colours, which results in the characteristic play of color. While the diffraction and interference can express itself as every colour in the visible spectrum, each Opal is unique in terms of its internal structure and the colours observed. Precious above all other varieties displays multispectral hues that change with the angle of observation.