WANTED: Opal expert

canid

First of all, are they REALLY bad luck? Say it ain't so...I'm thinking of getting a black Australian opal ring, very eclectic setting. There was an artist I saw years ago in a local jeweler, I forget his name now but his stuff was amazing, very non-traditional & VERY pricey. He mixed & matched his stones but black opal was usually predominant. Very eclectic. I think he was from California.

My son got me a silver opal bracelet in Mexico years ago while he was on leave; the flash 'thingies' in it are very large but I guess that's common with Mexican opal. And Paul got me a white opal ring several years ago but it's just not blue enough for me. Plus, it's pretty 'flowery' in design which just isn't me. I read that Australian opal was formed dry, in sandstone, so it doesn't need to be stored in water or oiled, whereas Mexican opal grew over millions of years IN water so keeping it in water while not wearing can be good for it. Anyone? I'm looking for bright blue & greens. I actually found opal here in Ohio of all places, in the creek down the road while panning. It's a pretty big hunk, 2.5" x 1.5" but it's slag. Still, it's real opal, just no flash. Although there is some purple deep inside that COULD be something really pretty, I've just never had it slabbed.

Are there any opal connoisseurs here?
 

PathWalker

Unlucky, no I don't believe so. Soft and easy to damage - yes! Hence you must "be careful" with them :)

enjoy.

FROM WIKI

Historical superstitions

In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal.[29] It was also said to confer the power of invisibility if wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and held in the hand.[29][30] Following the publication of Sir Walter Scott's Anne of Geierstein in 1829, however, opal acquired a less auspicious reputation. In Scott's novel, the Baroness of Arnheim wears an opal talisman with supernatural powers. When a drop of holy water falls on the talisman, the opal turns into a colorless stone and the Baroness dies soon thereafter. Due to the popularity of Scott's novel, people began to associate opals with bad luck and death.[29] Within a year of the publishing of Scott's novel in April 1829, the sale of opals in Europe dropped by 50%, and remained low for the next twenty years or so.[31]

Even as recently as the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that when a Russian saw an opal among other goods offered for sale, he or she should not buy anything more since the opal was believed to embody the evil eye.[29]

Opal is considered the birthstone for people born in October or under the sign of Scorpio and Libra.
 

canid

PathWalker said:
Unlucky, no I don't believe so. Soft and easy to damage - yes! Hence you must "be careful" with them :)

enjoy.

FROM WIKI

Historical superstitions

In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal.[29] It was also said to confer the power of invisibility if wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and held in the hand.[29][30] Following the publication of Sir Walter Scott's Anne of Geierstein in 1829, however, opal acquired a less auspicious reputation. In Scott's novel, the Baroness of Arnheim wears an opal talisman with supernatural powers. When a drop of holy water falls on the talisman, the opal turns into a colorless stone and the Baroness dies soon thereafter. Due to the popularity of Scott's novel, people began to associate opals with bad luck and death.[29] Within a year of the publishing of Scott's novel in April 1829, the sale of opals in Europe dropped by 50%, and remained low for the next twenty years or so.[31]

Even as recently as the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that when a Russian saw an opal among other goods offered for sale, he or she should not buy anything more since the opal was believed to embody the evil eye.[29]

Opal is considered the birthstone for people born in October or under the sign of Scorpio and Libra.
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Thank you! Now I'm thinking they're GOOD luck; I'll dig deeper. I do know that if they have a lot of red flash they're more valuable, but I just don't think they're as pretty. And those 'fire' opals that are translucent red/orange - I think they're ugly. But that's just me. I really like the bay leaf Harry Potter thing; I'll give it a shot. I forgot all about growing bay - I neglected my bay tree & it died 2 years ago. I'll get another this year & I'll try real hard not to kill it. There are a lot of people in Australia here; surely some know a lot about opal, just through osmosis.
 

GotH

I'm not expert but...

I got an Australian Black Opal pendant for Christmas. It hasn't been unlucky to me although I do have to warn you that they are very powerful... I notice that they magnify any emotion I'm feeling while wearing it so I don't come near it when I'm PMSing or feeling blue. It's a truly magical piece!

ETA: Tried to post a pic but it just didn't do it justice so I removed it...
 

Briar Rose

I think that those superstitions came from stone horders that didn't want anyone else to have them!!!

I can tell you that Opal's need Olive oil. Just a dab to keep the fire going.

I have been wearing Blue Peruvian Opals and Pink Opals in jewelry and I cannot feel anything negative about them. How can something natural and healing from the earth be bad for you?
All of the Crystals are as Melody says- love from the earth.
 

canid

Goddessofthehunter said:
I got an Australian Black Opal pendant for Christmas. It hasn't been unlucky to me although I do have to warn you that they are very powerful... I notice that they magnify any emotion I'm feeling while wearing it so I don't come near it when I'm PMSing or feeling blue. It's a truly magical piece!

ETA: Tried to post a pic but it just didn't do it justice so I removed it...
Click to expand...

Oh, I want to see it!
 

canid

Briar Rose said:
I think that those superstitions came from stone horders that didn't want anyone else to have them!!!

I can tell you that Opal's need Olive oil. Just a dab to keep the fire going.

I have been wearing Blue Peruvian Opals and Pink Opals in jewelry and I cannot feel anything negative about them. How can something natural and healing from the earth be bad for you?
All of the Crystals are as Melody says- love from the earth.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree but I keep going back to the Hope Diamond. Which I'll probably never even see, except online. I just found out it it has phosphorescence & luminescence, it's glow-in-the-dark after exposed to UV black light. Highly unusual for diamonds. Many will react under a UV black light, they turn a gorgeous lavender/purple, but they don't stay 'lit' after the light's turned off. They said that may be a reason it got a bad rep too... Personally, when someone says something is bad luck, I go the opposite direction. Like Friday the 13th, April Fool's day, etc.
 

celticnoodle

canid said:
First of all, are they REALLY bad luck? Say it ain't so...I'm thinking of getting a black Australian opal ring, very eclectic setting. There was an artist I saw years ago in a local jeweler, I forget his name now but his stuff was amazing, very non-traditional & VERY pricey. He mixed & matched his stones but black opal was usually predominant. Very eclectic. I think he was from California.
Click to expand...

I have not read through all the posts, because its late--VERY LATE--and I'm soon off to bed with my eyes barely open right now. :laugh:

I think it is all superstition--and don't believe it. However, I have heard that if the opal is NOT your birthstone, you should not own one. Hog wash! But then, I'm lucky as it IS my birthstone! :D

My son got me a silver opal bracelet in Mexico years ago while he was on leave; the flash 'thingies' in it are very large but I guess that's common with Mexican opal. And Paul got me a white opal ring several years ago but it's just not blue enough for me. Plus, it's pretty 'flowery' in design which just isn't me. I read that Australian opal was formed dry, in sandstone, so it doesn't need to be stored in water or oiled, whereas Mexican opal grew over millions of years IN water so keeping it in water while not wearing can be good for it. Anyone? I'm looking for bright blue & greens. I actually found opal here in Ohio of all places, in the creek down the road while panning. It's a pretty big hunk, 2.5" x 1.5" but it's slag. Still, it's real opal, just no flash. Although there is some purple deep inside that COULD be something really pretty, I've just never had it slabbed.

Are there any opal connoisseurs here?
Click to expand...
I have always been told to try not to allow the opal to get too wet--as it can dry it out. I was told that instead, I needed to oil it--baby oil is good--but definitely oil the stone now and again for its vibrant colors to shine through. It does seem to help it and so I "oil" all my stones. I have tons of opal jewelry--as everyone buys it for me knowing it is my birthstone. Maybe its because of the type of opals I have--all of them are white opals, but they all also have vibrant colors shining through and are quite beautiful to behold.

they are a soft stone-so be careful with that. But do buy them if you want them and enjoy them. I don't really give into that superstition that you shouldn't own it unless its your birthstone. Never hear that with any other stone!
 

stonesatiety

Perhaps the way opals amplify traits and emotions earned them a bad rep through our ignorance? I love opals and how they feel much different from other stones. Opals are composed of tiny spheres, if I remember correctly. I have two small polished opals and a large rough-cut jelly opal from Australia and a small sphere of Peruvian blue opal.

Years ago, feeling sorry for the jelly opal sitting dusty and neglected in a store, I sat on the floor and played with it. Suddenly it started clearing to reveal what looked like a being sitting inside a watery world, looking out at me!!! It came home with me that day. A lot of the brown stone in which the jelly portion resides turned to an olive green. So it's a transformation stone as well. It's flashing at me now. The Peruvian sphere has a blue area that has grown and become more blue over the years.

For years I kept the opals in an open container of water. My cat at the time started drinking the water. After her last prowl I removed the opals. They seem to be doing fine, but they are not jewelry.
 

GotH

Okay here it is. I'm telling you though, the way the colors in this stone truly "laser" out just can't be captured in a picture so this is only a teensy fraction of what you would really see. I feel the colors dominate at different times. I wish I knew what this means.. Like sometimes the green and blue will magnify over all the others and sometimes the red will. I LOVE my opal!


http://s28.postimg.org/6w0i5ibwd/IMG_20140312_200051_131.jpg


I wear this stone when I want to feel like royalty. :)
 
In need of a crystal Opals Make Me Cry