The nature of opal I. nomenclature and constituent phases

Abstract Natural hydrous silicas may be subdivided into three well‐defined structural groups—opal‐C (well‐ordered α‐cristobalite), opal‐CT (disordered a‐cristobalite, a‐tridymite) and opal‐A (highly disordered, near amorphous). Lussatite from the original locality is identical with opal‐CT and thus appears to be a legitimate term for this class of opal. Although the prime criterion used is the nature of the X‐ray diffraction pattern, supplementary information from infra‐red absorption, dilatometer and thermal techniques supports the three‐fold classification.