Mineral Guide · Material
Pink opal is a soft pink opaline silica material prized for gentle colour, opaque polish and attractive cabochons.
Pink opal is a soft pink opaline silica material prized for gentle colour, opaque polish and attractive cabochons.
Reference formula: SiO2·nH2O. Opal is commonly poorly crystalline or amorphous hydrated silica, so Pink Opal intentionally has no single crystal lattice in the viewer. Water content and colour vary. Pink Opal is classified with mineraloids and has a not applicable crystal system. Typical hardness is 5.5–6.5 on the Mohs scale and specific gravity is approximately 1.9–2.3.
Typical colours include pink, rose, cream, white. The usual massive, botryoidal, vein habit and waxy, dull lustre help describe a specimen, but colour alone is not diagnostic.
Pink Opal forms in or is associated with silica-rich volcanic, hydrothermal and sedimentary environments with trace colouring elements. Important documented localities include Peru, Mexico, Australia, Slovakia and commercial lapidary sources.
Pink opal sells through its calm colour and tactile polish, but its identity is best understood as a hydrated silica material rather than a perfectly ordered crystal.
Avoid heat, drying and acids; clean with a soft damp cloth and protect polished surfaces from scratches.
Reviewed by NotOnlyRocks Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 28 August 2026
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