Changing fortunes with Opal.

---> Black Opal


During the sixth century B.C. the Greeks strongly believed that the precious stone Opal can give foresight and wisdom to those who wore it.

The Romans thought the Opal represented power and majesty. The is legend that says Nonius, a Roman senator preferred to go on exile than to hand over his opal stone to the Roman Empereor, Mark Antony.

That all changed and Opal lost its value and reputation during the 14th century A.D. when the plague claimed thousands of lives. In Venice, the opal gained shine when the wearers got ill with the plague and it dulled when they ill people died.

From then on, the Opal was associated with death. Poor stone that is, it took all the blame due to ignorance of the fact that the opal is very sensitive to body heat and it will change its color because of the body temperature.

Opal ranges from clear through white, gray, red, yellow, green, shore, blue, magenta, brown, and black. Of these hues, red and black are the most rare and dear, whereas white and green are the most common.

Trivia to chew:
Opal is the official gemstone of South Australia and Commenwealth of Australia.
Opal is the birth stone of October.
The Czar believed opal is a representative of evil.

Courtesy: Reader's Digest, Wikipedia and commons.wikimedia.org