Dendritic opal is any type of common opal that has dark inclusions running through it. The inclusions are often manganese and create fern, tree, or leaf-like designs in the polished stones, which make them look like landscape paintings. Dendritic Opal Beads come in all kinds of shapes and colors and make fascinating jewelry. Buying gemstone beads online at the Bead Traders means you will always get affordable beads and beading supplies, because we buy in volume, and pass the savings on to you.
Where Do Moss Opals Come From?
One reason why this gem falls under the common opal category is its easy accessibility. The Dendritic Opal can be found all around the world. Although most opal mines are found in Australia (where the opal is the national gemstone) at places like Lightning Ridge, the famous White Cliffs, and the town of Coober Pedy, the common opal category reaches all the way to the United States and Mexico. Various deposits are mined from limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl, and basalt rock fissures found in Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, and even Russia as well.
Due to the easy accessibility of this gem, it is often more competitively priced, at least in its raw form. The real value comes from characteristics like the way it is shaped if it has milky white coloring and how attractive the plant-like patterning is. The highest-value Dendritic Opals are found in Australia with the Precious and Rainbow Opals.
History of the Dendritic Opal
Dendritic Opals were first discovered in Australia in the 19th century and very quickly became prized gems among the royalty of Europe, which, in turn, made them popular with everyone else. Due to this popularity, Australia very quickly grew in the mining industry area of the world market, and Dendritic Opal, along with other types of more precious opals, soon became a major source of economic growth for the country. People loved the way the gems captured the light, and many took great stock in the mysterious auras they held.
By the time the 1950s rolled around, the demand for precious, rainbow, and common opals had grown tremendously everywhere, and Australia was known to contain almost 80% of the world’s opal supply. There was no country in the world that could compete with them in this area of the market, until 2012, when Ethiopia rose to the challenge with an estimated opal output of 31,000 lbs. This challenge did not last long, however, and Australia quickly reclaimed its title of the record holder of opal sourcing.
Today Australia is known to contain 95-97% of the world’s supply of precious and rainbow opal and is also cited to contain a substantial portion of common opal as well. The opal output in this country alone has amounted to over 41 million U.S. dollars. Only in recent years has common opal been found in larger amounts in places like North and South America, Japan, and Russia. None of these countries even come close to being able to compete in the production of any of the types of identified opal.
Dendritic Opal Meaning
Dendritic opal beads help the wearer develop a stronger connection to nature because of the tree-like markings. It is a good stone to help with grounding and bringing someone down to earth. Dendritic opal jewelry can help you focus on personal goals, especially if you are looking to buy property. It is also good for healing past life wounds.
Dendritic opal jewelry can also aid in bringing honesty and sincerity into a relationship. It is often recommended to step-families by crystal healers to help them come to know and respect each other better. Because of the moss opal meaning around the world, having dendritic opals present during family or group discussions lessens tension, releases stress, and helps form stronger bonds. It is considered an excellent gift for newlyweds to help them get off on the right foot.
On the physical level, dendritic opal is said to help the vascular system, especially with varicose veins. It is also related to the digestive system and can help ease constipation. It is used by crystal healers to help people avoid consuming too much fat and is an aid in weight loss efforts. Dendritic opal jewelry is also thought to improve eye function. For these reasons, the dendritic opal meaning has lasted for many years and continues to be a source for healers around the world.
Dendritic Opal Properties
Dendritic Opal properties are interesting. These opals can contain almost 30% water, making them “soft gems.” Due to the metallic inclusions, these opals are often difficult to shape and slice the way you would like them, even though they are considered “soft.” Although the soft gem portion can be easily chipped, the metals prove to be tough obstacles for most artisans, so it takes a very careful hand to work with them. The combination makes for an interesting balance, especially when the best way to exhibit the opal’s natural artwork is to cut it into slices so the different plant-like patterns can be easily seen.
Common Opal vs. Precious Opal
Opals in general are made of silica and water and don’t have a crystal structure that fractures along straight lines. They are often cut in rounded cabochons. The most important difference between common opals and precious opals is that precious opals display opalescence or the play of fire. The stones have flashes of color inside them that change as the light hits the stone from different angles. Common opals do not have a play of fire, but they often have dendritic inclusions which create tree-shaped pictures when the dendritic opal beads are cut and polished skillfully.
Dendritic Opal vs Dendritic Agate
When it comes to deciphering between Dendritic opal vs dendritic agate beads, it is common for people to get these two confused as they share a similar appearance. While there are several differences, the main one to keep in mind is that agate is a mineral whereas the moss opal does not have crystalline structures, so it is a mineraloid. Because of its makeup, Agate is a hard stone (7 on the hardness scale) while dendritic opal is a soft gemstone.
Types of Dendritic Opal for Sale
There are several different types and colors of common opals that have dendritic inclusions.
Color
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Yellow dendritic opal gemstone beads or Honey opals are a mixture of golden yellow and white
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Pink Peruvian opal gemstones are red or pink and white
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Blue Peruvian opals are blue or green and white
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Moss opal is cream-colored or tan with green inclusions that resemble moss
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White dendritic opal beads. - Merlinite: A white variety of common opal with black inclusions is known as merlinite, named after the wizard in the court of King Arthur. It is found mainly in New Mexico. While merlinite is a form of dendritic opal, not all dendritic opal beads are merlinite.
Despite their different colors, all of these dendritic opal beads have dark streaks running through them in the characteristic tree shapes. The artistic qualities of the inclusions are more dramatic with larger stones.
Create Dendritic Opal Jewelry and More With Our Beads
Let your creativity unleash! These beautiful gemstone beads create earthy and mystical pieces that can stand the test of time. Read the Dendritic Opal Gemstone Long-term Wear and Care Guide to learn more about how to care for these gems.
Shop Dendritic Opal Gemstone Beads
When you buy dendritic opal from the Bead Traders, you can trust that you are getting a great deal. Our Three-Part Value Pledge means that we purchase gemstones in bulk to keep prices low but still give customers a good buy. Even close-out and sale beads are inspected for quality, and lower-quality beads are never substituted for higher-quality gemstones if an item is out of stock. If we are out of an item, we will send you beads of greater value than the ones you originally ordered. Trust the Bead Traders for great prices and high-quality gemstones and beads!