Louisiana Opal is a common, non-precious variety of opal found primarily as silicified wood or nodules within sedimentary layers. It is typically opaque and earthy in tone, requiring polishing to reveal a waxy luster suitable for cabochons and lapidary work.
Is this louisiana opal?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch louisiana opal with a known reference. Louisiana Opal sits at Mohs 5.5-6 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Louisiana Opal leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Louisiana Opal typically shows a waxy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, tan, gray, white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: amorphous. Typical habit: massive.
Often confused with
Louisiana Opal vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside louisiana opal
Minerals reported to co-occur with louisiana opal. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂·nH₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5-6
- Density
- 1.9-2.2 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Amorphous
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Formations
- Typical price
- $10-100 per specimen
Where rockhounds find louisiana opal
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Vernon Parish, Louisiana
- Sabine Parish, Louisiana
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary formations country — that is the host setting where louisiana opal typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, sandstone, iron oxides in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Louisiana — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find louisiana opal on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
