Pink Opal is a non-play-of-color variety of common opal that is prized for its soft, pastel coloration. It typically occurs in massive or nodular habits and is often polished into cabochons for jewelry or used for decorative carvings. Look for its distinct waxy luster and smooth, opaque texture, often found in association with volcanic deposits or sedimentary layers.
Is this pink 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 pink opal with a known reference. Pink Opal sits at Mohs 5.5-6.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Pink Opal leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Pink Opal typically shows a waxy to vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, rose-pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: amorphous. Typical habit: massive, nodular, botryoidal.
Often confused with
Pink Opal vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Pink Opal is noticeably harder (Mohs 5.5-6.5 vs. 3.5-4); luster reads waxy to vitreous on Pink Opal and vitreous on Rhodochrosite.
How to tell apart: Luster reads waxy to vitreous on Pink Opal and vitreous on Rhodonite.
How to tell apart: Pink Opal is noticeably harder (Mohs 5.5-6.5 vs. 3.5-4.5); luster reads waxy to vitreous on Pink Opal and vitreous on Magnesite.
Often found alongside pink opal
Minerals reported to co-occur with pink 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
- 5.5-6.5
- Density
- 1.9-2.2 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Waxy to Vitreous
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Amorphous
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Nodular, Botryoidal
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Decorative, Collector
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Environments, Volcanic Cavities
- Typical price
- $5-30 for small cabochons, $50-200 for high-quality specimens
Where rockhounds find pink opal
Classic worldwide localities
- Peru
- Mexico
- USA
- Australia
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary environments, volcanic cavities country — that is the host setting where pink opal typically forms. If you start seeing chalcedony, quartz, montmorillonite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, nodular, botryoidal habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find pink opal on the map
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