Iridescent Opal

Imagine holding in your hand a kind of stone that has the magical power to show you all the colors of the rainbow with just one look. I am sure you will agree that the sight can be pretty overwhelming. Opal is just that. A precious stone primarily found in mining areas in Southern Australia and quite a few from Nevada all the way to Czechoslovakia among others, opal reflects a multitude of colors that gives the impression you are looking at the colors of a rainbow on close range. The first opal mines, however, were found in what is currently called Eastern Slovakia, but its well has long since run dry. But if you are looking for fire opal, these are mostly found in Mexico. White, also known as milky opal, and black ones are more abundant in Australia.

Opal is most popularly known as the birthstone of those born in October and is usually given as a 14th wedding anniversary gift. Napoleon Bonaparte was said to have given his wife Josephine "The Burning of Troy" opal as a gift.

As in other precious stones, opal earring a lot of ancient beliefs, which today may still be regarded as symbols of such by true lovers of gemstones. For instance, Greeks believed that opal gave whoever wore it the ability of prescience or forethought - foresight, simply put. Romans, on the other hand, believed opal symbolized hope and purity, hence, they wore opals in their crowns. They also believed that it warded off diseases and sicknesses. During the Middle Ages, people wore opal because they believed it would be helpful to their eyesight. Others even believed that once you wore it, you would be rendered invisible! On a more serious note, some cultures in the 14th century regarded opal as the "Eye Stone" because they believed that it watches over them, royalties in particular. Some even thought of it as the ruler of all gems because of its ability to absorb all colors of the rainbow. Legends in ancient Arab believe that opals got their display of different colors from lightning flashes from heaven, believing that opals fell from heaven. However popular it was, opal somewhat lost its "charm" when a widely-read novel pictured opal as an unlucky stone. But the stigma did not last, and opal won back its popularity among the collectors' circle and possibly every gem lover.