Opal Gemstone Beads and Charms from Rings & Things: Opal has the same basic chemical composition as quartz, but usually contains 6 - 10% water!
Common Opal (sometimes called opalite) does not have the flashes of light found in precious opal, but both common opal and precious opal are hydrated amorphous Silicon Dioxide. African Opal and Wood Opal (or wood opalite) are forms of common opal. Their neutral, earthy colors make them excellent options for guys -- especially if you're trying to create jewelry for a guy with an October birthday. Our pretty Yellow Opal is somewhere in between: It is more translucent than most common opal, and has hints of opal fire (or maybe that's just flashes from the faceting)!
Birthstones for October include Opal, Rose Zircon and Pink Tourmaline.
Bello Opal is a beautiful synthetic opal. This is a high-quality polymer-impregnated lab-grown opal (80% silica/ 20% resin), with an intense play of color, and no cracking, crazing or yellowing over time.
Opalite: The term "opalite" in the jewelry industry can be confusing because sometimes it refers to common opal, and other times it refers to manmade opal. If it's not clear from an item's name, please click into the product details and we should have a clarification in the product description. Opalite glass beads have a milky center, and project a blue sheen when worn against most colors, but take on a yellowish tint when placed next to white.
Read more about Opal and Opalite in the Gemstone Index.