Abstract: A package for an optical assembly of a type that uses bulk optics in an optical path will require environmental protection from contaminants. It is common to construct a substantially hermetically sealed package to provide environmental protection for the optical assembly but such hermetically sealed packages are expensive to construct and are not completely reliable. Consequently, the present invention provides a package (48) for an optical assembly with the bulk optics encapsulated by a silicone encapsulant (54) and encased within an epoxy layer (50) and supported by a substrate base (52). The package (48) for the optical assembly thus provides the bulk optics with the required environmental protection from contaminants.