Your Purchases
Honey opal is a rare variety of precious opal displaying a dominant yellow to golden-amber body tone with distinctive play-of-color phenomena. This gemstone forms through the deposition of silica spheres in sedimentary or volcanic rocks under specific geological conditions.
The distinctive honey-colored base is caused by trace amounts of iron oxide within the opal’s microstructure, while its iridescent display results from the diffraction of light through regularly arranged silica spheres. Found primarily in Ethiopia’s Welo province, honey opals exhibit unique characteristics including hydrophaneity, allowing them to become temporarily transparent when immersed in water. The gemstone measures 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and contains 3-10% water content within its chemical composition of SiO2¬∑nH2O. These opals often display vibrant spectral colors against their warm honey background, creating a sought-after combination in the gemological market.
Honey Opal is typically a natural gemstone.
Common names for Honey Opal include Fire Opal, Golden Opal, Sun Opal, and Mexican Opal.
Honey Opal, like other opal varieties, generally has a hardness of about 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. This makes it moderately soft, and it requires care in handling to avoid scratches and damage.
The refractive index of Honey Opal ranges from approximately 1.37 to 1.47. This is a typical range for opals, contributing to their distinct play of color.
Honey Opal exhibits a subvitreous to waxy luster, which gives it a beautiful and appealing sheen not as brilliant as some harder gemstones but distinctive among opals.
Opals, including Honey Opal, generally do not have cleavage. This means they do not break along defined planes, which can be advantageous in their setting and durability as gemstones.
Honey Opal typically has a conchoidal fracture, meaning it breaks with a smooth, curved surface that resembles the interior of a seashell. This type of fracture is common in amorphous and cryptocrystalline minerals.
The specific gravity of Honey Opal usually lies between 1.98 and 2.25. This property helps in identifying the gemstone by comparing its density with that of other opals.
Honey Opal, like other opals, is isotropic and shows no birefringence due to its amorphous nature.
Opals are well-known for their play of color, and Honey Opal displays a low to moderate dispersion. This characteristic contributes to the stone’s appealing fire‚Äîa rainbow-like effect caused by the diffraction of light.
Honey Opal is amorphous, meaning it does not have a crystalline structure. This lack of internal structure contributes to its unique light play and color patterns.
True to its name, Honey Opal displays warm tones ranging from golden yellow to deep orange, often with a play of color that can include green, blue, and red flashes.
Honey Opals can range from opaque to translucent. Translucent varieties are particularly prized for their ability to display play of color more vividly under light.
Being isotropic, Honey Opal does not exhibit pleochroism. This means the stone shows the same color in all directions under polarized light.
Honey Opal can show fluorescence under ultraviolet light, typically emitting a green or white glow, which adds to its appeal in jewelry.
Opal is generally considered to have fair to good toughness, but it can be prone to cracking or “”crazing”” under extreme temperature changes, dehydration, or mechanical stress.
Opals are brittle, and Honey Opal is no exception. Care should be taken when setting or wearing to avoid potential damage from impact.
Being isotropic, the optic sign of Honey Opal is uniaxial and normally not applicable due to its amorphous nature.
Honey Opal does not typically show a characteristic absorption spectrum due to its amorphous structure and varied composition.
Honey Opal is a form of hydrated silicon dioxide (SiO2·nH2O). The water content can range from 3% to 21% by weight.
While more common in other gemstones, some finely fibrous Honey Opals can exhibit chatoyancy, especially when cut as cabochons.
Asterism is rare in Honey Opals but can occur if the stone contains aligned inclusions that reflect light in a star-shaped pattern.
The play of color seen in Honey Opal is a form of iridescence. This is due to the diffraction of light passing through microscopic silica spheres within the structure of the opal.
Honey Opal is not magnetic.
Being composed largely of silica, Honey Opal is an electrical insulator.
Honey Opal is not radioactive.
Handling and caring for Honey Opal require attention due to its softer and more brittle nature, but its unique optical properties make it a favorite amongst gem enthusiasts.
