Rock & Mineral Encyclopedia

Search and identify 1,000+ rocks, minerals, crystals, and gemstones — with properties, formation, colors, hardness, and how to tell them apart.

Purple Opal

A purple-hued common opal, much of it the Mexican "morado" type, valued for even violet color rather than play-of-color.

The purple variety of quartz, colored by iron and natural irradiation, prized as the classic violet birthstone of February.

A soft, pastel minty-green tourmaline prized for its fresh, light color, a delicate variety of green elbaite.

A pastel purple variety of common opal, valued for its gentle lilac body color rather than any play-of-color.

A historic name for the red-violet to purplish lithium tourmaline first prized from Siberia, closely tied to the rubellite variety.

The pure colorless variety of beryl, valued as crystal specimens and as a brilliant alternative to clearer gemstones.

The pure golden-yellow gem variety of beryl, colored by iron and valued for its clarity, brilliance, and durability.

The vivid, pure yellow tourmaline marketed as canary, a rare manganese-rich variety from Zambia and Malawi.

The intensely glowing orange variety of spessartine garnet, prized for its pure 'Fanta-orange' fire and high brilliance.