Your Purchases
Levin opal is a rare hydrophane opal variety discovered in Levin, New Zealand, characterized by its unique ability to become transparent when immersed in water and return to opacity when dry. The stone exhibits a distinctive play-of-color, displaying predominantly blue and green flashes across its surface, with occasional red and orange hues.
This metamorphic gemstone forms in volcanic rock cavities through silica-rich water deposition, creating a microscopic structure of uniformly sized silica spheres. The porous nature of Levin opal allows water absorption up to 10% of its weight, temporarily altering its optical properties. Its Mohs hardness ranges from 5.5 to 6.0, with a specific gravity of 1.98-2.20 when dry.
Mining of Levin opal ceased in the late 1920s, making specimens highly valued among collectors. The stone’s chemical composition includes amorphous silica (SiO2¬∑nH2O) with trace elements of aluminum and iron, contributing to its distinctive coloration and optical phenomena.
Levin opal is typically a natural gemstone.
Common names for Levin opal include Type 3 opal, hydrophane opal, and honey opal.
Levin Opal, like most types of opal, has a relatively low hardness on the Mohs scale, typically ranging between 5.5 and 6.5. This makes it somewhat susceptible to scratching and wear, requiring careful handling and storage.
The refractive index of Levin Opal usually ranges from about 1.44 to 1.46, which is typical for opals. This contributes to its notable play of color and light interactions.
Levin Opal exhibits a subvitreous to waxy luster. This characteristic luster contributes to its beautiful and unique visual appeal, often enhancing the stone’s play of color.
Opals, including Levin Opal, generally do not have cleavage. They are amorphous, meaning they do not have a defined crystalline structure, which is why they do not cleave along specific planes.
Levin Opal typically exhibits a conchoidal fracture, which is a curved breakage surface resembling the shape of a shell. This is common among amorphous materials like glass and various types of opal.
The specific gravity of Levin Opal is usually within the range of approximately 1.98 to 2.25, depending on its water content and other inclusions.
Being an amorphous solid, Levin Opal demonstrates no birefringence. This absence of double refraction is due to its isotropic nature.
Levin Opal can show notable dispersion or “”fire,”” which is the stone’s ability to disperse light into various colors. This is one of the most cherished properties of opals.
Levin Opal does not have a crystal system as it is amorphous. It does not form crystals and lacks a regular atomic structure.
The color of Levin Opal can vary widely, including white, black, blue, green, red, and a range of other hues. Multicolored specimens showing a play of color are highly valued.
Levin Opal can range from opaque to translucent. Transparent varieties are rare but highly prized for their aesthetic qualities.
As an isotropic material, Levin Opal does not exhibit pleochroism. This means that the stone maintains the same color intensity from all angles under polarized light.
Some Levin Opals may exhibit fluorescence under ultraviolet light, typically showing green or blue colors. However, the presence and intensity of fluorescence can vary.
Opal is generally considered to have fair to good toughness, but Levin Opal, like other opals, can be prone to cracking or “”crazing”” due to its internal structure and water content.
Levin Opal has a brittle tenacity, meaning it can break or chip relatively easily compared to more tenacious gemstones.
Being isotropic, Levin Opal has an optic sign of “”isotropic,”” indicating uniform optical properties in all directions.
Levin Opal typically does not produce a characteristic absorption spectrum due to its amorphous nature and variable composition.
Levin Opal primarily consists of silica (SiO2) and a variable amount of water. Its chemical structure can include various trace elements that contribute to its color variations.
While rare, some Levin Opals may exhibit chatoyancy or the cat’s eye effect, depending on the alignment of its internal structures and inclusions.
Asterism, or the star effect, is exceedingly rare in Levin Opal but can occur under unique conditions where needle-like inclusions are present.
Iridescence is a common and valued feature in Levin Opal, where the stone shows changing colors when viewed from different angles, especially notable in precious opals.
Levin Opal exhibits no magnetism due to its lack of ferromagnetic materials.
As a non-conductive material, Levin Opal does not conduct electricity, consistent with its composition largely of silica.
Typically, Levin Opal does not exhibit radioactivity. Radioactive elements are not a standard component of its chemical structure.
