Is this stuff common Opal?

[Smokehouse_83]

Had someone tell us where an old Opal mine was and I went and explored it last week. Found a hole about 10 foot deep with what looked like limonite and basalt meeting up and the stuff in the pictures littered all around the hole and up and down the road to it with a bunch of other shallower mines. I though it was all Jasper, but after research Jasper and Common Opal can look alike and are found together. You guys think these are Opal mines? Is it worth my time to go back with a pick axle and shovels and try to find some Opal?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[Eu_citzen]

Hardness test is in order!

 

[DDancer]

As EU says, opal is softer than regular quartz and scratches easily with quartz. Hard to tell what you have there as the images blur on magnification however I see a lot of crystallization which leads me to think there is not much opal there. Strong crystallization is not common in opal deposits as the conditions are wrong for opal formation. Crystallization is usually after the fact with opal and normally in the from of druzzy quartz as a rind or in a vug. But I'd give it a dig as there could have been a seam that was dug out.

 

[Smokehouse_83]

The other holes are a sedimentary conglomerate looking stuff. I will do some more research.