What is Opalite if it’s Not a Crystal?

Did someone tell you that your opalite isn’t real because it is glass? That’s kind of true. It’s definitely real opalite, it’s just that opalite itself is technically glass. This article explores what opalite is to dispel any confusion.

Opalite beads we have in stock that ended up in our house somehow.

What is Opalite Made of?

Opalite Stone is really opalite glass. This material seeks to mimic the beautiful colour display found in opal – for which the technical term is opalescent or opalescence.

Instead of natural stone, opalite is created using metal oxides, quartz, sand, ash, lime (from limestone), sodium, kaolin, fluorine, and other minerals. In other words, opalite is made from a glass which has been minerally enriched, enhanced to add effects that give it the appearance of opal[i].

Why? Opal is expensive and hard to get to. Glass is easy and looks pretty.

Opalite Colour

The additional compounds placed into the glass are what makes opalite so colourful. Different minerals have different outcomes. For example, fluorine is the mineral found in fluorite and fluorapatite. It is the mineral responsible for that shimmering play on light that both crystal types can display. This usually appears as a slightly blue, milky, cloudy, gemstone or tumble stone.

Opalite colouring is softer based on how slowly it is cooled. Opalite must be heated to 1500^oC in a furnace to melt all those minerals together. That’s about 2732^oF for all our American readers.

Ooftie.

Opalite Stone Vs Opal

Misleading section title because opalite is not a stone, it is glass. However, if I don’t hit the keyword, I won’t reach the people searching for these terms. Call it artistic license.

Opalite is a man-made glass which contains natural minerals.

Opal is a mineraloid, not really a stone either but neither is it a crystal or a glass. It is a form of silica which contains between 3 and 21% water. It is amorphous, which basically means that it has no crystalline or set specific form. That is what sets it apart from crystals, which have very well-defined structures.

Is Opalite Real?

Opalite is real glass. It is pretty glass though. There are plenty of costume jewellery pieces out there that contain glass which is nowhere near as thoughtfully produced as opalite is. Essentially it is mineral rich glass. Besides: just because it is not a crystal does not mean that it has no tangible existence in this world. It is as real as your chair. Put it that way.

The correct answer to “But opalite is just glass though!”

Is:

“I know that thanks, I am not an idiot.”

That usually shuts them up.

‘Natural’ Opalite

There is an interesting take in the gemstone world that there is such a thing as ‘natural’ opalite. This just isn’t true. What the people using this term are referring to is actually called ‘common opal’. This is opal material which doesn’t display any grand colours. It therefore does not have the same worth – but it is not named opalite. This is a ruse designed by commercial crystal sellers to get you to buy their opalite.

If you see the word ‘opalite’ in the title, it is just glass.

There is even a disturbing edit to the information on Wikipedia about ‘natural’ opalite, to say that it is made from stacked silicon dioxide in a pyramid or grid shape. With opal being amorphous and having no crystal shape, this can only be nonsense.

(Always remember when using Wikipedia that anyone can edit it. When dealing with academic writing, we do not use Wikipedia as a reliable source for this purpose.)

If you go to the Mindat page and look up opalite, it says:

“Synthetic opalized glass used in jewelry.

Also used for impure, colored variety of common opal.

Confusing and unnecessary designation, should be avoided.”

And that is how we feel about the term, too.

What is Opalite Good For?

Well… it’s glass, so technically it is good for decoration and jewellery. I don’t know many crystal healers who take it seriously as a healing crystal but feel free to hit me up in the comments section if you disagree.

Opalite Meaning in Crystal Healing

Again: it’s not a mineral. However, it does contain minerals and might potentially borrow characteristics from them. You might find the iron oxides used to colour the glass to be grounding. You might believe that opalite you have contains the fluorine found in fluorite, and that therefore it contains related qualities.

I don’t know.

And every bit is different. Slightly different degrees of compounds make each batch.

Opalite Stone Properties/Opalite Benefits

Despite being mainly glass, opalite is a favourite tumble stone of many a crystal collector. It’s cool colouring always makes it a first time buy for new crystal collectors. Teens who don’t know it’s not glass buy it. It looks good. It’s understandable. I collected crystals for years before I knew opalite was fake. I figured it was some kind of opal relative. It is not though, and that’s OK too.

So, the benefits of opalite include being cute and colourful, soothing to look at, and encouraging of empathy. It is a collector’s item that is not a crystal, but that still has a space in your rock collection. These opalite properties make it a fine stone for meditation… even if it is really glass.

[i] https://geologyscience.com/gemstone/opalite/#4_How_Is_Opalite_Made_Simplified_Technical_Explanation