- precious opal
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any opal having a play of colors, used as a gemstone. Also called noble opal.
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Universalium. 2010.
precious opal
Look at other dictionaries:
precious opal — Opal O pal, n. [L. opalus: cf. Gr. ?, Skr. upala a rock, stone, precious stone: cf. F. opale.] (Min.) A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity. [1913 Webster] Note: The {precious opal}… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
precious opal — any opal having a play of colors, used as a gemstone. Also called noble opal … Useful english dictionary
Opal — O pal, n. [L. opalus: cf. Gr. ?, Skr. upala a rock, stone, precious stone: cf. F. opale.] (Min.) A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity. [1913 Webster] Note: The {precious opal}… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Opal — For other uses, see Opal (disambiguation). Opal An opal bracelet. The stone size is 18 by 15 mm (0.7 by 0.6 in) General Category … Wikipedia
opal — /oh peuhl/, n. 1. a mineral, an amorphous form of silica, SiO2 with some water of hydration, found in many varieties and colors, including a form that is milky white. 2. an iridescent variety of this that is used as a gem. 3. a gem of this. [1350 … Universalium
Opal — /oh peuhl/, n. a female given name. * * * A hydrated, noncrystalline silica mineral used extensively as a gemstone. Its chemical composition is similar to that of quartz but generally with a variable water content. Pure opal is colourless, but… … Universalium
OPAL — a variety of quartz, of which the finest kind, precious opal, is translucent, with blue or yellow tint, and when polished with a convex surface shows an admirable play of colours; it is found chiefly at Cerwenitza, Austria … The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
Precious coral — Corallium rubrum Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia … Wikipedia
Opal — f English: one of the rarer female names taken in the late 19th century from vocabulary words for gemstones. This is ultimately derived (via Latin and Greek) from an Indian language (cf. Sanskrit upala precious stone) … First names dictionary
opal — (n.) 1590s, from Fr. opalle, from L. opalus (Pliny), supposedly from Gk. opallios, possibly ultimately from Skt. upala s gem, precious stone. Used in Middle English in Latin form (late 14c.) … Etymology dictionary
