Photonic crystals have become an extremely active area of research, holding much potential for improvement and miniaturization of optical technology, just like semiconductors caused a revolution in electronics. A very popular sample to study in the visible region has been the synthetic opal, made by self-assembly processes from monodisperse dielectric spheres. Its high degree of symmetry and the nature of the dielectric materials usually employed do, however, limit its effectiveness in some ways. Here, we present an experimental investigation of modifications to these materials, adding enhanced magnetic interactions with the electromagnetic field and different shapes to the photonic crystal toolbox, as well as a combination of both.