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Peruvian Opal
Also called Andean Opal, this 'common opal' is not so common these days. Found in the Andes Mountains of peru, it's found in Blue/greens, pinks, and more common white/yellow. Much of it contains mustard colored inclusions as well as black dendrites.
While the pink is still fairly common, the blue-green has become scare lately. One reason is that it is colored by copper, and with metals commanding a higher price, the priority for the miners is copper, not opal. In addition, the best material is starting to reach the end of the original vein.
Blue peruvian opal can be similar to gem silica in appearance, and basically differs in that opal contains water in the matrix. the inclusions also tend to be different, with gem silica often containing malachite and opal often having the mustard and black dendrites. Much of what is on the market as beads these days is the cheaper, white opal, which has been dyed to look like natural blue/green opal. With it's scarcity, Blue Peruvian Opal has gone up in value recently.
