Polished Blue Opal Tumbled Stone Natural Crystal
Blue Opal is a soft, soothing variety of natural common opal, prized for its gentle powder-blue and white coloring. These tumbled pieces show a calm mix of pale blue, cloudy white, and grey marbling, some with warm brown or golden inclusions and dendritic markings that give each stone its own character. Polished to a smooth finish, they have a gentle waxy-to-glassy luster. Because blue opal forms naturally, the balance of blue to white, the veining, and the inclusions vary from stone to stone.
Blue Opal Features
- Natural blue common opal in soft powder-blue and white tones
- Grey marbling with occasional warm brown or golden inclusions
- Tumbled and polished to a smooth finish
- Roughly 1 to 1.5 inches, about 5 oz per piece
- Sold individually as one hand-picked stone
- Color and pattern unique to each piece
Blue Opal Benefits
Blue opal has one of the calmest, softest looks among blue stones, a gentle sky-to-powder blue clouded with white, more soothing than saturated. That quiet coloring makes it a favorite for people who find bright blue stones too bold, and it works beautifully in serene, natural, or coastal interiors. The smooth polish and dense feel make it a pleasant palm or pocket stone, and the natural inclusions and marbling mean no two pieces are alike. At this size it is a lovely display or gift stone.
Blue Opal Materials
Blue Opal is a form of common opal (opal without the rainbow play-of-color of precious opal), a hydrated silica. Its soft blue color comes from trace elements and the way light scatters within the stone. It typically rates around 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, so it is moderately durable but softer than quartz. The brown and golden markings are natural mineral inclusions. Blue opal is found in several regions, including Peru, the western United States, and Africa.
Blue Opal Usage Tips
- Clean with a soft, slightly damp cloth and dry thoroughly; avoid soaking
- Moderately durable at 5.5 to 6.5 Mohs, so store apart from harder stones to avoid scratches
- Keep away from prolonged heat and dry air, since opal contains water and can craze if dried out
- Avoid harsh chemicals, which can dull the polished surface
- Keep out of prolonged direct sunlight to preserve the soft blue color
Disclaimer
Size, shape, and color may vary from the photos. Each Blue Opal stone is natural, so no two pieces are identical.
