OPAL PRECIOUS OPAL~ is opal which exhibits the phenomenon known as PLAY OF COLOUR produced by diffraction of white light due to opal's microstructure. This is composed of an orderly arrangement of spheres of silica in regular three dimensional grid producing colours by diffraction and interference of light waves travelling through transparent silica spheres and voids. BODY COLOR                                                   Open cut mine in Coober Pedy
BLACK OPAL~ is opal which shows a PLAY OF COLOR within a black or dark body colour when shown face up.	Lightning Ridge Black Harlequin Opal Carved
	LIGHT OPAL~ is opal which shows a PLAY OF COLOR within a white, grey or light body colour when shown face up
CRYSTAL OPAL~ is transparent or translucent opal where the colours are sharp and visible below the surface.
	JELLY OPAL~ is transparent opal with a jelly appearance and pale indistinct colours.
BOULDER OPAL~ is opal distinguished by the natural presence of a host brown rock, usually ironstone or sandstone, on the back of the opal seam. Is mainly mined in Queensland, Australia.
	MATRIX OPAL~ is porous opal from Andamooka in South Australia, often dyed dark or carbonised with sugar and acid to simulate Black opal. Also ironstone containing veins of precious opal which is normally found in Queensland Australia.
DOUBLET OPAL~ is a layer of opal cemented to a black background as a two piece composite
	BOULDER OPAL DOUBLET~ is usually cut from light transparent opal which is cemented to an ironstone backing.
TRIPLET OPAL~ is a thin layer of opal cemented to a dark base and a top crystal  layer of clear quartz or glass, the colors from the thin slice of opal radiate through the crystal top.
	GILSON OPAL~  is a synthetic opal which is grown in a laboratory  this creates a very bright and cheap imitation opal
COMMON OPAL~ is opal which does not exhibit a PLAY OF COLOUR. Common opal is usually made up of silica spheres of non-uniform size with irregular stacking. OPAL POTCH is a name quite often given to common opal.

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