Opal var: Opal-AN (formerly Hyalite Opal) (RARE Bolivian locale)

Item Description

Opal is very rarely seen from any locality in Bolivia, but we've seen a handful of them over the years. This piece is labeled as coming from the Canutillos Subdistrict (part of the larger Machacamarca District), and while I cannot verify the actual locality, the material has been at least noted, as mindat.org acknowledges its potential validity, though it's still listed as being questionable. With that said, this piece is an attractive example of Opal-AN, a variety of Opal that for many years was called "Hyalite". The entry for this material on mindat.org is defined as, "amorphous opal with a glass-like structure. The "A" in the name stands for amorphous; the subscript "N" is to imply its structure is network-like similar to silica glass.". This piece is filled with attractive spherical groups of off-white to soft golden-beige colored Opal-AN on minor matrix. If you collect worldwide Opals, this is something that you rarely seen on the market, and it's only one of a very few Opals we've seen from Bolivia over the years.