Opalite is a

trade name A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...

for synthetic

opalescent Opalescence refers to the optical phenomena displayed by the mineraloid gemstone opalopalescent. 2019. In Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved January 7, 2019, from https://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/opale ...

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

and various

opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

and moonstone simulants. Other names for this glass product include ''argenon'', ''sea opal'', ''opal moonstone'', and other similar names. It is also used to promote impure varieties of variously colored common

. Natural opalite (as opposed to the man-made opalite) shares the same basic chemical properties as opal. It is made of tiny spheres of

silicon dioxide Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one ...

, which stack onto each other in a pyramid grid shape. This grid is what allows the cat's-eye effect to be displayed when the stone is cut into a high-domed

cabochon A cabochon (; ) is a gemstone that has been shaped and polished, as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex (rounded) obverse with a flat reverse. Cabochon was the default method of preparing gemstones before gemstone cuttin ...

. Natural opalite is referred to as "common opal" to prevent confusing it with glass opalite. When opalite glass is placed against a dark background, it appears to have a blue color. When placed against a light background, it is milky white with an orange or pink glow. Since it is glass, it may sometimes contain air bubbles, an after-effect of the forming process.

Usages

Opalite is mainly used as a decorative stone, and is usually sold either tumble polished or carved into decorative objects. Some sellers will sell opalite as

or moonstone.

References

Synthetic minerals Opals {{mineral-stub