Feature
Gems & Gemology, Spring 1989, Vol. 25, No. 1
"Opalite": Plastic Imitation Opal with True Play-Of-Color
John I. Koivula and Robert C. Kammerling
A plastic imitation opal that shows true play-of-color was advertised as "new" and offered for sale under the trade name "Opalite" at the Gem and Lapidary Dealers Association (GLDA) Tucson show in February 1988. Subsequent gemological testing proved that this material was virtually identical to the plastic imitation opal previously described in the literature that was known to be manufactured in Japan. It is now being marketed worldwide under a new name.
