The first gem sold as "Opalite" wasn't glass. In February 1988 a plastic imitation opal went on sale under that name at the Tucson gem show, and when gemologists tested it, the point of a sewing needle dented it at the lightest touch. Today the name belongs to something much tougher: a milky glass, made by people to catch light the way opal and moonstone do.
The opalite meaning grew out of that glow, which shifts with whatever is behind it. It's a stone of calm and gentle change, for the times when life is shifting under your feet. A little further on there's a two-minute way to see its color change for yourself.
Opalite quick facts
- Chakra: Third eye, crown
- Zodiac: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio, Libra
- Element: Water, air
- Color: Milky white with a blue glow on dark backgrounds, peach and gold against light
- Hardness: About 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale, like other glass
- Made: In glassworks, not mined
- Pairs with: rose quartz, moonstone, clear quartz
A glow for in-between times
Opalite's meanings are modern ones, written in the last few decades by people drawn to its light. They gather around the way it shifts.
Transition. A stone that changes with its surroundings has become a token for change itself: a move, a new job, the end of one season and the start of another.
Calm. Its soft, milky glow suits quiet moments. Many people hold it when they want to slow down and let a strong feeling settle.
Intuition. Light that seems to rise from inside the stone links it to inner knowing, the same idea that surrounds moonstone.
Cancer, the sign ruled by the Moon, is the one most often linked to it, a fit for a stone made to look like moonstone. Pisces and Scorpio, the other water signs, join it, and Libra is linked to it as well. It's placed on the third eye and crown chakras, the centers of insight and awareness.
Wearing and using opalite
Wear it. Our handmade opalite tree of life necklace sets a glowing opalite in the tree of life, a symbol of growth and family, on a 20 inch black cord. On a dark sweater it glows blue, and on a white shirt it warms to gold. The stretchy opalite and rose quartz heart bracelet pairs opalite with rose quartz, for gentle new beginnings in love.
Ask it a question. Opalite's even glow makes a calm, steady pendulum. The opalite merkaba crystal pendulum ends in a quartz tip, with the merkaba, a star of sacred geometry, standing for balance. The opalite and quartz crystal chip pendulum mixes opalite chips with clear quartz on a chakra chain.
See the color change. Lay your opalite on something black, like a T-shirt or a phone screen, and look at it from above: it turns blue. Now hold it up toward a bright window and look through it: it glows orange. Turning it slowly between the two is a calming little ritual on its own.
Opalite with rose quartz, moonstone and clear quartz
Rose quartz adds warmth and tenderness, the pairing on our heart bracelet, and our rose quartz guide has more. Moonstone is the natural stone opalite was made to resemble, and the two together make a moonlit set for new beginnings, as our moonstone guide explains. Clear quartz shares our chip pendulum with opalite and is said to amplify whatever it sits beside.
You'll find more stones for insight in our third eye chakra crystals.
Caring for opalite
Opalite is glass, about 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. It handles daily wear but can chip if dropped on tile, and quartz is hard enough to scratch it, so give it its own pouch. Water is fine: a rinse with a drop of mild soap keeps it bright. Avoid sudden temperature swings, like a hot windowsill followed by cold water, which can crack glass.
Many people cleanse it under the full moon, a fitting choice for a moonlit stone. Quick care facts for every stone we carry are in our crystal care chart. Every crystal in our shop is smudged with sage and charged in the moonlight before it ships.
Opalite FAQ
Is opalite man-made?
Yes. Opalite is man-made glass, designed to look like opal and moonstone and loved for its own soft glow.
Is opalite the same as opal?
No. Opal is a natural gem made of silica and water, while opalite is manufactured glass that borrows its milky look and its name.
Is opalite a real crystal?
It's real glass, not a crystal or a mined stone. You can tell it from moonstone by its glow: moonstone's sheen floats and moves as you turn it, while opalite glows evenly all over.
Can opalite go in water?
Yes, it's glass and won't be harmed. Dry it afterward and keep cords out of long soaks.
Can opalite be in the sun?
Yes. Its glow comes from the glass itself, not a dye, so sunlight won't fade it.
Can opalite have bubbles in it?
Yes, small round bubbles are common in opalite, left behind as the glass is formed.
Which wrist do you wear an opalite bracelet on?
Many people choose the left, to take its calm in during a time of change.
See also: how to tell real crystals from man-made ones.
How glass learns to glow
Opalite's glow is called opalescence. The glass is filled with tiny particles, far too small to see. Short blue light waves bounce off those particles and scatter, so when you look at opalite against a dark background, that scattered blue is what reaches your eye. Longer orange and red waves pass straight through, so with a bright light behind it, the glass glows warm. It's the same effect that makes the sky blue at noon and orange at sunset.
The name means "like opal," and it causes a little confusion: the same word is sometimes used for natural common opal, a different material. The glowing glass in jewelry and tumbled stones is the man-made kind. Some sellers call it "sea opal" or "opal moonstone." Ours is always sold by its true name.
Each piece we sell is one of a kind, and the one pictured is the one you'll receive.