Home > Terms > English (EN) > opal
opal
Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica; its water content may range from 3% to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6% and 10%. Because of its amorphous character it is classed as a mineraloid, unlike the other crystalline forms of silica which are classed as minerals. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl and basalt. Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, which produces 97% of the world's supply. This includes the production of the state of South Australia, which accounts for approximately 80% of the world's supply. The internal structure of precious opal makes it diffract light; depending on the conditions in which it formed, it can take on many colors.
Other Languages:
Member comments
Terms in the News
Billy Morgan
Sports; Snowboarding
The British snowboarder Billy Morgan has landed the sport’s first ever 1800 quadruple cork. The rider, who represented Great Britain in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, was in Livigno, Italy, when he achieved the man-oeuvre. It involves flipping four times, while body also spins with five complete rotations on a sideways or downward-facing axis. The trick ...
Marzieh Afkham
Broadcasting & receiving; News
Marzieh Afkham, who is the country’s first foreign ministry spokeswoman, will head a mission in east Asia, the state news agency reported. It is not clear to which country she will be posted as her appointment has yet to be announced officially. Afkham will only be the second female ambassador Iran has had. Under the last shah’s rule, Mehrangiz Dolatshahi, a ...
Weekly Packet
Language; Online services; Slang; Internet
Weekly Packet or "Paquete Semanal" as it is known in Cuba is a term used by Cubans to describe the information that is gathered from the internet outside of Cuba and saved onto hard drives to be transported into Cuba itself. Weekly Packets are then sold to Cuban's without internet access, allowing them to obtain information just days - and sometimes hours - after it ...
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Banking; Investment banking
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is an international financial institution established to address the need in Asia for infrastructure development. According to the Asian Development Bank, Asia needs $800 billion each year for roads, ports, power plants or other infrastructure projects before 2020. Originally proposed by China in 2013, a signing ...
Spartan
Online services; Internet
Spartan is the codename given to the new Microsoft Windows 10 browser that will replace Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer. The new browser will be built from the ground up and disregard any code from the IE platform. It has a new rendering engine that is built to be compatible with how the web is written today. The name Spartan is named after the ...
Featured Terms
Bogor Agricultural University
Bogor Agricultural University is an Indonesian state agricultural university based on Bogor. It was part of University of Indonesia before secede in ...
Contributor
Featured blossaries
HOSEOKNAM
0
Terms
42
Blossaries
11
Followers
Sino-US Strategy and Economic Development
Browers Terms By Category
- Pesticides(2181)
- Organic fertilizers(10)
- Potassium fertilizers(8)
- Herbicides(5)
- Fungicides(1)
- Insecticides(1)
Agricultural chemicals(2207) Terms
- Cooking(3691)
- Fish, poultry, & meat(288)
- Spices(36)
Culinary arts(4015) Terms
- Industrial lubricants(657)
- Cranes(413)
- Laser equipment(243)
- Conveyors(185)
- Lathe(62)
- Welding equipment(52)
Industrial machinery(1734) Terms
- Hats & caps(21)
- Scarves(8)
- Gloves & mittens(8)
- Hair accessories(6)
Fashion accessories(43) Terms
- Misc restaurant(209)
- Culinary(115)
- Fine dining(63)
- Diners(23)
- Coffehouses(19)
- Cafeterias(12)