Opal... rainbow of the desert

HISTORY OF THE PRECIOUS OPAL

The Lore of Opal: what people believed

There have been many magical and curious beliefs associated with precious stones.

Erasmus Stueler, writing in 1517, noted that Opal is identified under at least two names by Albertus Magnus in his Book of Minerals (C1260). The first is 'ophthalmus', about which he says:

"Ophthalmus is a stone named from ophthalmia (an eye disease). Its colour is not stated, perhaps because it is of many colours. It is said to protect the wearer against all bad diseases of the eyes; but to dim the sight of those nearby. And therefore it is known as the protector of thieves; for those that wear it are, as it were, invisible."

The second name for opal is 'pantherus'.

Once again, quoting from Albertus Magnus:

"Pantherus is a stone having many colours in a single stone (namely, black, green, red and many more; and it is also found pale purple, rose-coloured. They say it impairs the sight... the wearer should look at it early in the morning when the sun is rising in order to be successful and victorious. It is said to have as many powers as it has colours."

Albertus also used the name 'orphanus', stating that:

"It is the stone in the crown of the Roman Emperor, and has not been seen anywhere else, and is therefore called the orphan."

Wyckoff considers that the stone was probably a fire opal.

In the 19th century opals were considered to be unlucky. This belief appears to have come about through a novel written by Sir Walter Scott, who wrote during the late 18th and early part of the 19th century. The novel, Anne of Geierstein, tells of a family that owned an opal talisman which was supposed to have brought misfortune to the members.

This belief may also have been compounded by the story of King Alphonso XII of Spain, who ruled from 1874-1885. He gave an opal ring to his wife, who died soon afterwards. Before the funeral, the King gave the ring to his sister, who also died soon afterwards. The ring then passed to his sister-in-law, whose demise took place three months later. Alphonso, who was understandably startled by these tragedies, decided to wear the ring himself, but also died within a short time.

This belief persisted to some degree until the early part of the 20th century. Opal started to come into favour again when Queen Victoria took a liking to the gemstone, and presented fine stones to members of her family.

With the discovery, widespread distribution and beauty of Australian opal, people now accept them as they do any other gemstone.

The discovery of precious opal in Australia towards the end of the nineteenth century sounded the death knell of the Dubnik mines, although they did not eventually close down until 1923. These new opals were taken overseas by T.C. Wollaston in 1889 to whom must go the credit of putting Australian opal onto the world market. To Wollaston (R1544) must also go the credit for producing the following description of opal, which rivals in its extravagance the description of opal by Petrus Arlensis in 1610:

"But the colour patterns in Black Opals are infinite in their range and astonishing in their heavenly lawlessness. They are not of course patterns at all, but the gleeful spear-thrusts, the broken shining pathways of seraphic Order struggling out of chaos - Celestial Light, imprisoned through the centuries, panting to be free - or, better still, dear Human Love battling in the black grip of Fate, vivid and valiant lit with stormy glory and flashing in splendid hope - or fitfully gleaming, and clouded over, and all but quenched, yet ever pulsing back into tenderness or rippling into sunny smiles!"

"Who, indeed, can hope to capture and describe this amazing, gladeyed, responsive thing, cribbed in its dark cage, yet exultant there beyond measure, and trembling with a gratitude which we still thrill to watch? In one small stone what varying heaven-lit scenes - mountains and lakes and curtains of Arctic fire; there is Pilatus piercing through golden hail, against the dark storm of cloud, his sacred summit agleam with molten emerald, and there the Rigi bristling with crimson daggers, and at foot that matchless lake, its shadowed greens slashed with brilliant bars of purple - the pathway of the King! Or surely this is Kiluea (sic), fearful in mysterious beauty, its sleeping fires partly veiled over with sullen hues as of a cooling iron till Old Faithful bursts out in sudden splendour and throws aloft his meteoric showers, while a surging wave of glory sweeps across the awesome pool!"