Article Highlights
Tiffany Stone (Opalite) is a stunningly gorgeous gemstone that is highly valued for its beautiful patterns and rarity. The term “tiffany stone” is a trading name often used to refer to white, blue, and purple gem material that is cut and polished into breathtaking tumbled stones, cabochons, and beads.
Additionally, tiffany stone is a rock comprised mainly of fluorite with traces of chalcedony, quartz, dolomite, calcite, and opal. Its main composition, opalized fluorite, produces the gemstone’s signature blend of lavender, cream, blue-violet, rich purple. Moreover, tiffany stone also comprises small amounts of Rhodonites, beryl, and manganese oxides.
Other Names
Tiffany stone is also known by several other aliases, including:
- Opalite
- Opalized Fluorite
- Bertrandite
- Purple passion
- Purple opal
- Ice cream stone.
Where is Tiffany Stone Found?
Tiffany stone comes in varieties, but the bottom line is that it is highly rare that it only has one known origin. Authentic tiffany stone is mined in Utah’s Brush Wellman Beryllium mine. The stone can also be found in the immediate surrounding areas within the mine, which have been closed to the public to allow for the mining of Beryllium. Generally, this rarity makes the tiffany stone highly valuable, especially in large sizes and top qualities.
However, save for this authentic tiffany stone, you can find a less genuine and more corrupted version of the tiffany stone elsewhere. The latest variation of opalized fluorite is of a lesser quality originating from China. Unlike the authentic tiffany stone mined in Utah, the Chinese tiffany stone is cheaper, making it the perfect stone to sell to unsuspecting buyers who don’t know the difference.
History
The story behind the initial mining of tiffany stone had nothing to do with bertrandite mining but rather to find Beryllium, which is used in making missile nose cones since it rarely warms up at top speeds. Tiffany stone was first discovered and mined in the 1960s.
Geological Properties
As previously mentioned, tiffany stone is made purely of opalized fluorite, which is linked it its stunning texture retention. You should note that Beryllium, one of tiffany stone’s compositions, is toxic. As such, ensure you wear and handle tiffany stone that is already polished.
Tiffany stone comes in various color variations like yellow, purple, white, and blue. Genuine tiffany stone is a stunning warm mixture of soft to deep blue/purple shades, pinks, blacks, yellows, oranges, and warm whites. The shades fade and blend into each other, resulting in an almost “watercolor effect”.
Additionally, since tiffany stone is rare and costly, it is often found in irregular shapes. It is rarely cut and polished into regular shapes to avoid losing precious raw stone material. Genuine tiffany stones with regular shapes like spheres tend to be very expensive. In a nutshell, it has an uneven/irregular and sub-conchoidal fracture.
The stone’s hardness on the Moh scale ranges from four to seven, depending on the mineral concentration. Moreover, tiffany stone forms in nodules that vary sizewise, from small to stones measuring over 100 pounds. Tiffany stone minerals are formed in rocks and may relate to volcanic activities.
Tiffany stone is grouped as a metamorphic rock. Tiffany Stone has a greasy, waxy, resinous, and sub-vitreous luster. Additionally, it has a white streak and a translucent to opaque transparency.
Although classified as a rock, tiffany stone has unique color collusion, stunning swirling patterns, and rarity that make it a highly-valuable and sought-after gemstone for jewelry and decorative purposes.
Healing Properties and Benefits
Healers, alchemists, shamans, and astrologers are typically attracted to the tiffany stone due to its healing properties. Tiffany stone comes with some notable healing energies and properties for the body, heart, and spirit.
Often referred to as a beacon of light, tiffany stone’s healing energies make it even more valuable. Here is how you can use the stone for healing purposes.
Physical Healing
Tiffany stone is good for your bones and muscles and can help treat tension that occurs in such areas. It treats arthritis and tendonitis. Additionally, tiffany stone, also known as purple passion, can stimulate your libido and help to channel and increase the flow of sexual energy.
The stone is also believed to help in the treatment of allergies and skin issues. It also aids in the wellness of the respiratory tract and treats infections as well as coughs. Bertrandite boosts your hormones, energizes your endocrine system, and helps in regulating sexual and reproduction functions.
It can also treat blood and heart disorders as well as neurological disorders. Additionally, tiffany stone benefits individuals who suffer from autism, dyslexia, and epilepsy. It can also deal with scoliosis. Tiffany stone improves nerve impulses and the degeneration/transmission of brain illnesses.
Moreover, the stone can assist in the assimilation of vitamins and help to detoxify your body, especially the throat and the lungs.
Emotional Healing
Are you feeling emotionally deprived? Tiffany stone offers a strong support system for your emotional being. It alleviates blockages and clarifies thought, allowing you to be more open to change and the people around you. Additionally, bertrandite stimulates emotional strength and gives you the power to express your true positive and negative feelings. With tiffany stone, you can confidently verbalize hidden or shameful feelings.
Tiffany stone alleviates worry and tension from the past and encourages effortlessness and gentleness in your life. Additionally, it empowers you to be more objective, inventive, and live happily in the present. The stone helps you to sift through emotional baggage and maintain a sense of security.
Bertrandite is known as a stone of passion and connects you to the higher heart. As such, it fills your heart with a pure and powerful love sensation. Tiffany stone brings beautiful and loving feelings. It plays a good role in your relationships with your romantic partners or friends. It helps to improve the communication levels in your relationship and makes you more honest in sharing what you feel with your partner.
It gives you emotional balance and shows you how to navigate through life changes with ease and confidence. It is a reliable gemstone for building emotional intelligence.
Spiritual Healing
Tiffany stone accelerates your powers and awakens your dormant abilities, psychic abilities, and intuition. It easily connects you to the higher self and widens your body’s auric field.
The stone allows your spirit to open to the possibilities of life. It brings abundance and prosperity to your life, especially if you are running tasks or projects that can help you grow in every aspect. If you feel worn out, this stone helps restore you to the rightful path and regain your drive.
It can help you chase away the bad spirits that are constantly hindering you from the necessary growth. It helps you cleanse your aura so that you can welcome every good-natured spirit that helps you strive for growth.
The stone is ideal for spiritually wandering or lost individuals. Its connection to the higher self teaches you that you are an infinite universal and spiritual being with divine purpose.
When there are hurdles and challenges on your life’s journey, you can rely on tiffany stone to help you achieve cohesion and balance in every aspect. Whether it is spiritual, physical, or emotional, tiffany stone provides healing in its purest form.
Tiffany Stone and Chakra
Tiffany stone is known to stimulate the Crown and Higher Crown Chakras. Located at the top of the head, the Crown Chakra is the gateway to the expanded universe beyond your body. The Crown Chakra controls how you think and the world around you. Additionally, it is the source of spirituality and beliefs. The Crown Chakra is the universal source of truth and energy and also connects you to the higher planes of existence.
Generally, when your Crown Chakra is balanced, so is your energy balanced. You then become more aware of your existence in the universe and see as well as experience things as they are. Purple gemstones help to treat imbalanced Crown Chakra.
Tiffany stone also stimulates the Higher Crown Chakra situated over your head. This chakra is attuned with higher vibrational lavender/white stones. Moreover, the Higher Crown Chakra is connected to more spiritually connected things and encompasses true humility.
Tiffany stone is also known to vibrate within the thymus chakra and heart chakra. This helps to fill your heart with unconditional love, regardless of the recipient.
How to Use It?
There are several ways to use tiffany stone to maximize its benefits in your life. The first instance is the most common among gemstone users. Tiffany stone is used in jewelry pieces due to its stunning nature. It is extremely beautiful, with different color variations and swirling patterns that make the gemstone extremely attractive. In addition, tiffany stones are very rare, making them even more ideal for jewelry pieces.
When used as rings, tiffany stones can wear off quickly and lose their polish and luster. Therefore, the best way to use tiffany stones as jewelry is on pendants, beads, earrings, and other types of jewelry not exposed to too much abrasion.
However, bertrandite is hard to find in regular shapes and sizes. Owing to how rare and expensive they are, most people use the gemstones simply as decoration without needing to cut the stone. If you find regular-shaped tiffany stones, chances are the stone is very expensive. However, the irregularly shaped tiffany stones can be used as decorative pieces in homes.
Tiffany stones can also be used in meditation as a guide. It is the perfect stone when you need to concentrate, grasp complex concepts, and remember vital bits of information.
Zodiac Connection
Bertrandite is a gemstone for individuals born under the zodiac sign Pisces. However, with its color variations, it can be used to benefit people across other zodiac signs. Pisces are symbolized by two fishes swimming in the opposite direction. The symbol depicts the challenge of dealing with conflicting life goals and emotions. People who share this sign love to interact and it is amazing to be around them.
In addition, Pisceans tend to prioritize others’ interests and needs mostly above their own. They enjoy gifting their loved ones are very empathetic. Additionally, they are highly resilient and tend to be successful in marketing, music, art, and drama areas. Tiffany stone helps Pisceans to bring out the best of the qualities.
Morado Opal Vs. Tiffany Stone
Commonly known as purple opal or royal opal, Morado opal is a variety of common opal derived from the Spanish word Morado, meaning “purple”. It doesn’t exhibit a play of colors. However, its white and purple colors meet dramatically to form attractive patterns and color combinations. Additionally, it is one of the cheapest opals that can produce designer-grade cabochons.
Morado opal is often compared with tiffany stone, mainly due to its white and purple colors as well as its physical properties. Regardless, both are varying materials and are found in different places altogether.
As mentioned, Morado is white and purple common opal with small silica amounts and traces of fluorite. The stone’s fluorescence and purple color are attributed to the fluorite composition. It is mined solely in Mexico. Immediately after mining, Morado opal exhibits crazing in a short time.
On the other hand, tiffany stone is silicified fluorite commonly found as nodules in beryllium mines. Tiffany stone is mined in Spor Mountain, Utah, with cheaper, lesser-authentic variations originating from China. However, unlike Morado opal, tiffany stone is not subjected to the crazing degree that Morado opal undergoes.
How to Spot A Fake Tiffany Stone?
Tiffany is a stunning crystal that is mined in only one location in Utah. As such, it is very rare and consequently very expensive. Unfortunately, cheap opalized fluorites being sold from Tiffany stone have flooded the market from China and Turkey. Due to their resemblance, it becomes hard to differentiate the authentic Utah tiffany stones from the lesser-authentic Turkey and China stones. However, there are several ways you can implement to differentiate the two.
The first one is the origin. Ensure you know the origin of the tiffany stone or jewel before purchase. Unlike the genuine tiffany stone mined solely in Utah, the fake version comes from China and Turkey.
The second way is color, which may be hard to tell initially. Real bertrandite is a warm combination of very soft to deep blue/purple shades, blacks, yellows, oranges, pinks, and warm whites. Its shades blend into each other, resulting in a watercolor effect. On the other hand, the fake tiffany stone is a harder and colder set of whites and purple, typically with harsh lines that divide these colors
Another way to differentiate is through shapes. The real tiffany stone is highly rare, meaning chances of finding it in regular and even shapes are minimal. Real bertrandite is rarely cut to avoid material wastage. Most of them are cut and polished into jewels which tend to be very expensive especially spherically-shaped jewels. Conversely, most fake bertrandite comes in well cut and regular shapes. You are more likely to tell it is fake just from the final shape and look.
Tiffany Stone Value
Tiffany stones are extremely rare since they are mined in only one place globally. This factor explains why it is also expensive and highly sought after. However, unlike other valuable gems, tiffany stones are not likely to be sold in common jewel stores. You may find them at a gem and mineral show. You can also find them in online stores such as Esty. Most of the sellers are likely to be the same individuals involved in cutting the stones. These factors also contribute to the stone’s popularity and high value.
Bottom Line
Tiffany stone was first discovered in the 1960s in the quest to find Beryllium. Its rarity and beautiful patterns contribute to its value. Tiffany stone is cherished and highly sought after, despite the fact that it is not sold in jewel stores. Tiffany stone lovers use the stone for its healing properties and aesthetic appeal. However, you should exercise caution to ensure you get authentic tiffany stone and not the lesser quality bertrandite from China and Turkey.
