Which chakra does Purple Opal work with?

Purple Opal is traditionally associated with the Third Eye · Heart chakra, the element of Water, and the sign Cancer · Pisces.

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Entry № 340

Purple Opal

Q: What is Purple Opal made of?

Purple Opal has the chemical formula SiO₂·nH₂O, crystallises in the amorphous system and measures 5.5 – 6.5 (Mohs) on the Mohs scale. Purple opal is a common (potch) opal: amorphous hydrated silica made of packed silica spheres that are too irregular in size to diffract light, so it shows body colour but no play-of-colour. Mexican morado opal owes its violet tone to fluorite inclusions within the silica, and the stone commonly fluoresces green under ultraviolet light for the same reason. Opal contains several per cent structural water and can craze — develop fine surface cracks — if dried too quickly or exposed to heat.

Hydrated Silicon Dioxide

Common opal in shades of violet and lilac.

Chakra

Third Eye · Heart

Element

Water

Zodiac

Cancer · Pisces

I. The Metaphysical Reading

How the stone has been held.

Purple opal, often sold as morado opal, is worked with as a calming stone for emotional weather — placed on the chest during rest, or carried through periods of grief and change. Practitioners speak of it as softening rather than solving.

Chakra: Third Eye · Heart
Element: Water
Zodiac: Cancer · Pisces
Keynote: Common opal in shades of violet and lilac.

II. The Scientific Reading

What the lattice actually does.

Purple opal is a common (potch) opal: amorphous hydrated silica made of packed silica spheres that are too irregular in size to diffract light, so it shows body colour but no play-of-colour. Mexican morado opal owes its violet tone to fluorite inclusions within the silica, and the stone commonly fluoresces green under ultraviolet light for the same reason. Opal contains several per cent structural water and can craze — develop fine surface cracks — if dried too quickly or exposed to heat.

Formula: SiO₂·nH₂O
System: Amorphous
Hardness: 5.5 – 6.5 (Mohs)
Provenance: Mexico (Jalisco, Michoacán), Peru, Indonesia, USA

References & Sources

Independent mineralogical references used to verify the scientific details above.

Mineral Profile

Fact Sheet

Chemical Formula: SiO₂·nH₂O
Crystal System: Amorphous
Mohs Hardness: 5.5 – 6.5 (Mohs)
Density: 1.98 – 2.20 g/cm³
Refractive Index: 1.430 – 1.460
Provenance: Mexico (Jalisco, Michoacán), Peru, Indonesia, USA
Color Origin: Lilac to deep grape, opaque to translucent, without play-of-colour