In the jewellery world they’re simply beautiful and can turn a piece of common opal into something of spectacular beauty and intrigue. In the gemmological world dendrites are manganese oxides (MnO2) and form in fine fractures and fissures through the crystallisation of manganese rich solutions from surrounding weathered rock.

Mathematicians and scientists have studied their attributes to further their knowledge of geometry, metallurgy, computer technologies, neurosciences, space and time. Fractals are fascinating for more than just the dendrite enthusiast. Dendrites are, by definition, a fractal – a “self-similar” pattern, meaning they are the same either near or far, an ever-evolving pattern of repetition and growth. Although it is often called “Merlinite” in the new-age scene it is however the dendrites that have made this stone popular, not Merlin.ĭendritic is the term used to describe the formation in which certain minerals crystallise fine, fern-like branches much like the structure of frost and snowflakes.

Australian Dendritic Opal is typically a black and white ornamental gemstone containing areas of opaque white common opal, translucent grey to colourless chalcedony and picturesque black to brown dendritic inclusions of manganese oxides. Any gemstone that is recognised for its stress-management properties gets a tick of approval from me, especially one which is Australian and contains dendritic inclusions (one of my favourite features).

Dendritic opal