Australian Opal
Intense light refraction on this high grade Australian Opal.
Opal is a non-crystalline, hydrated form of silica.
On average, the water content is around 10%. If the opal dries out due to exposure, it can become brittle and lose some luster. If you have any opals, periodically soaking them in water will prolong their life and beauty.
Quartz is composed of crystalline silica, giving it an organized structure. Opal, on the other hand, consists of micro silica spheres of various sizes.
These spheres refract light. The color and intensity of the light flash is determined by the way the spheres are packed together. Some opals contain other minerals or grow within a matrix which can affect their appearance.
Opal is the birthstone for those born in October.
It is considered by some to be a lucky amulet that attracts wealth and abundance. Whether or not it holds magic, the light and color pleases the eyes and the spirit.
Australia is known for its quality and quantity of gem-grade opal, which is its national gemstone.
Original images by @ironwood
Beautiful photos of a beautiful gem. Thanks.
😄😇😄
You have really gorgeous shots. I love opal, and this is an entirely different perspective. What is the level of magnification in these pictures? Thanks!
Thank you. These pictures are about 100x. I estimate based on the microscope's 200x maximum. For some reason, 100x magnification of opal makes for better pictures compared to full zoom for there is more light and color present.
What makes it green?
The size of the silica spheres and the space between them determines the color of light.
aha! Good ole light refraction at work. So when you see an opal that has many different colors it just means that the silica spheres within are inconsistently sized and spaced.
Well, specific sizes create specific colors for instance 0.1 micron makes violet, 0.2 micron makes red. And the space between them is a water/silica solution so that has some play on the way the light bends through the opal.
exquisite
You got a 1.48% upvote from @upme requested by: @ironwood.
Send at least 2.5 SBD to @upme with a post link in the memo field to receive upvote next round.
To support our activity, please vote for my master @suggeelson, as a STEEM Witness
World of Photography Beta V1.0
>Learn more here<
Thank you for participating in #macrophotography, the weekly selection will be released on Friday.
You have earned 5.25 XP for sharing your photo!
Daily photos: 1/2
Daily comments: 0/5
Multiplier: 1.05
Server time: 05:55:47
Total XP: 23.70/100.00
Total Photos: 4
Total comments: 3
Total contest wins: 0
Follow: @photocontests
Join the Discord channel: click!
Play and win SBD: @fairlotto
Developed and sponsored by: @juliank
Thank you @ironwood for making a transfer to me for an upvote of 4.24% on this post! Half of your bid goes to @budgets which funds growth projects for Steem like our top 25 posts on Steem! The other half helps holders of Steem power earn about 60% APR on a delegation to me! For help, will you please visit https://jerrybanfield.com/contact/ because I check my discord server daily? To learn more about Steem, will you please use http://steem.guide/ because this URL forwards to my most recently updated complete Steem tutorial?
Nice
I follow you
Please follow me, my friend,
You got a 4.59% upvote from @postpromoter courtesy of @ironwood! Want to promote your posts too? Check out the Steem Bot Tracker website for more info. If you would like to support development of @postpromoter and the bot tracker please vote for @yabapmatt for witness!
This post has received a 16.07 % upvote from @aksdwi thanks to: @ironwood.