Abstract
This paper presents the results of the δ18O study of the precious opals from Primor’e (Raduzhnoe deposit), Australia, and Ethiopia and the modern opals from the hydrotherms of the Mendeleev Volcano (Kunashir Island, Kuril Islands). It is established that the oxygen isotope ratio in opals may serve as a criterion for the estimation of their formation temperature. The low-temperature sedimentary opals are relatively enriched in the heavy oxygen isotope independently of the sedimentary or volcanic host rocks. Examples are the Australian and Slovakian opals of the A-type. The hydrothermal opals are enriched in the light oxygen isotope, which depends on the precipitation temperature. The higher the temperature, the lighter the oxygen isotope ratio of the precipitating opal is and the closer it is to that of the hydrothermal fluid.
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