Light Opal — White and Crystal

Reviewed by David van Niekerk FGAA — Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Australia, qualified valuer.

Light opal is the opal most visitors picture first: a soft, glowing stone with colour that moves as you turn it. It comes in two kinds. White opal has a milky body that softens the colour. Crystal opal is clear, so the colour seems to float inside the stone.

Rough light opal in its host rock beside a polished oval crystal opal

White opal and crystal opal

Opal is graded partly by its body tone, the background colour behind the play-of-colour. Light opals have a pale body tone.

  • White opal has an opaque to semi-opaque, milky white body. The colour sits on the surface like a soft glow.
  • Crystal opal is transparent to translucent. "Crystal" is the miners' word for that clarity; it does not mean the opal has a crystal structure. Good crystal opal shows colour with real depth, as if you are looking into it.

Both are solid opal: one natural stone, nothing added.

Where it comes from

Most light opal comes from the South Australian fields: Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Mintabie. Crystal opal is also found at Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, alongside black opal. Coober Pedy is famous for its underground homes, built to escape the outback summer heat.

What to look for

  • Brightness: how strongly the colour shows in normal light, not just under a spotlight.
  • Colour: red is traditionally the most prized colour in opal, then orange, then green.
  • Pattern: pinfire, flash, ribbon, harlequin and more. Large, even patterns are rare.
  • Clarity (crystal opal): no cloudiness, and colour visible from most angles rather than one.
  • Character: the stone you keep coming back to.

Wearing and care

Light opal is softer than quartz, so take care with rings worn every day. Keep it away from knocks, harsh chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners; clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush. More: How to care for opals · How to choose opals.

See light opal in the shop

Our boutique at the Opera House holds one-of-a-kind white and crystal opals, set in Sydney. Visit us at Opera Quays, or browse the range online.

Shop light opal →