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10 things you need to know about "Synthetic Opal"
Imitation opal is what people usually consider fake opal. Sometimes you may see gemstone with no color change effect is also named as imitation opal. This is because there is opal with or without color effect.
It could be made of a material that has different physical properties. They could be either plastic, glass or any other materials…etc. The composition of silica is usually very low or even none.
Oparex Opal is a new kind of imitation opal which has nebula alike color change effect.
MAIN FEATURES:
| Category | Bello Opal - Galaxy Collection | Bello Opal | Oparex Opal |
|---|---|---|---|
Elements |
Nearly 100% Silica Small portion of Water | 80% Silica 20% resin | 25% Silica 75% resin |
Hardness (Mohs) |
5.5 | 4 | 2 |
Specific Gravity |
1.9-2.2 | 1.8-1.9 | 1.35-1.4 |
Heat Resistance |
900 degree C | 130 degree C | 130 degree C |
Rough Stone Shape |
Irregular | Irregular | Regular |
Growth Pattern |
Yes, with vertical free | Yes, with vertical free | No, it is absent |
Glass Compatibility |
Yes | No | No |
Jewelry Plating |
Yes | Yes | No |
There are many products called opal, but why they would not look the same?
Opal is an amorphous form of silica related to quartz, a mineraloid form, not a mineral. However, there is opal with or without color effect. Only opal with color dynamicity could be classified as precious gemstone and they are called “Precious Opal”. High-quality precious opal would have bright rainbow-like colors and while rotating; there will be various of magical brilliance and gorgeous color, with attractive color changes.
Among the opal categories, most of them are general opal, only a very small percentage of them are precious opal. Opal has various colors, such as black, grey, white, brown, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue & transparent, etc . In the jewelry industry, as general opal is in milky white and without any color change effects, its commercial value is not high and could not be classified as precious gemstone.