# Opalite

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opalite
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{{Short description|Trade name for opal and moonstone simulants}}
{{For|the song|Opalite (song)}}
{{distinguish|Ophiolite}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2026}}
[[File:10-20MM Tumble Polished Opalite.jpg|thumb|10–20 mm pieces of [tumble-polished](/source/tumble_finishing) opalite, an artificial glass]]
'''Opalite''' is a [trade name](/source/trade_name) for synthetic [opalescent](/source/opalescence) [glass](/source/glass) and various [opal](/source/opal) and [moonstone](/source/moonstone_(gemstone)) simulants. Other names for this glass product include ''argenon'', ''sea opal'', ''opal moonstone'', and other similar names.<ref name=Mindat/><ref>{{cite book |last=Eckert|first=Allan W. |year=1997 |title=The World of Opals |location=New York |publisher=[John Wiley and Sons](/source/Wiley_(publisher)) |pages=107–08 |isbn=978-0-471-13397-1}}</ref> It is also used to promote impure varieties of variously colored common [opal](/source/opal).<ref name=Mindat>{{Mindat |id=5984 |name= Opalite}}</ref>

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](/source/silicon_dioxide), which stack onto each other in a pyramid grid shape. This grid is what allows the [cat's-eye effect](/source/chatoyancy) to be displayed when the stone is cut into a ball.

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.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

==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 [opal](/source/opal) or [moonstone](/source/Moonstone_(gemstone)).{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

Category:Synthetic minerals
Category:Opals

{{mineral-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Opalite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opalite) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opalite?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.