Opal, Opalite, Moonstone... what's the difference?
Opal
Opal is a naturally occurring stone that is found in nature – this is specifically called “natural opal”. It can also be grown in a lab, which is referred to as “synthetic opal”. Synthetic opal is still opal, and being that it is man-made, it comes with extra options. It can be found in more colors (i.e. - pink, blue, purple, green, etc.) for a start. It’s also easier to cut so the actual jewelry made with it might offer more shapes. The other major difference is the price point. Synthetic opal is considerably more affordable than natural. If there are two identical opal pieces, the synthetic one will be considerably less expensive than the natural.
Moonstone
Moonstone is also a naturally occurring stone but is considerably more common than opal. It’s easily found in, not only jewelry, but also in simple tumbled forms at any gem or crystal shop. It’s also going to be significantly lower in price point than natural opal. It is an entirely different type of stone than opal or opalite and comes in a variety of colors including blue, rainbow, and pink. If you look at opal and moonstone side-by-side, they’re actually pretty easy to tell apart in many instances. Even rainbow moonstone, which sort of resembles a white opal, has more of an “oil slick” effect within it, as opposed to “spots” of color like within an opal. The body of the stone can also be less opaque than an opal.
Opalite
While opalite is still a stone, it is never found in nature. It is an entirely man-made creation that is somewhat similar in structure to glass. It’s inexpensive and easily found, with a look that mimics opal without the “flash” sort of color-play you would see in a rainbow moonstone. If you shift it around in your hand, the colors within it don’t really move as much.
