Dendritic Opal

Nature's branching patience, held in stone.

Dendritic opal is a white-to-cream or pale translucent opal containing dark dendritic inclusions, iron or manganese oxide deposits that form fern-like or tree-branch patterns inside the stone. Most commercial material comes from Madagascar. Unlike precious opal, dendritic opal does not show rainbow play of color. Its beauty lies in the striking natural dendrites against the milky opal base. The stone is soft (Mohs 5.5 to 6.5), water-bearing, and can fade in prolonged sunlight. The dendrites are not fossilized plants, they are pure mineral formations that mimic organic shapes.