For centuries the opal has been plagued by cautionary tales and warnings of dire consequences befalling their owners. Opals were said to have the power to maim or even kill anyone foolish enough to wear the gemstone. While much of this reputation is probably due to early jewellers’ mishandling of the brittle and fragile opal, one fictional tale, written in the 19th century, caused the collapse of Europe’s opal market for the next fifty years.
Anne of Geierstein’s Opal
In 1829 English writer Sir Walter Scott published his novel Anne of Geierstein. The main character, Lady Hermione, wore a magical opal in her hair. When she was happy the gemstone sparkled beautifully, and gave off red fiery flashes when she was angry. This caused her to be wrongly accused of being a demon, so few drops of holy water were sprinkled on the opal, which lost its brilliance. Lady Hermione fell ill, and was taken to her bed. The following morning all that remained of her and her opal was a pile of ash in her bed.
Opal in Ancient Mythology
Ancient Romans considered the opal the “queen of gemstones”, because it contained the colours of every other gemstone. Roman philosopher Pliny described the opal as combining the best characteristics of all gemstones: “in them all you shall see the living fire of the ruby, the glorious purple of the amethyst, the sea green of the emerald, the golden yellow of the topaz and the deep blue of the sapphire...”
Opal was regarded as a symbol of hope and purity, valued second only to the emerald. The Romans called it cupid paederos, meaning “child as beautiful as love”, and believed an opal would protect its wearer from disease. Nonius, a Roman Senator, owned an opal so beautiful it caught the eye of Mark Antony, who wanted to buy it as a gift for his lover Cleopatra. Under threat of death Nonius chose to go into exile rather than part with his opal. Another legend claims Cleopatra wore opals to seduce Mark Antony.
Greek mythology tells how Zeus, king of the gods, wept with happiness after defeating the Titans. When his tears hit the ground they turned into opals. The Greeks believed an opal bestowed the gifts of prophesy and foresight upon its owner.
The Indian Goddess of the Rainbow was so beautiful all the male gods vied for her affection. In despair she turned herself into a rainbow-coloured opal to escape their attentions. The Oriental peoples considered opals an “anchor stone of hope”, while Arabians believed they were magical stones from Heaven. Alternative Arabian mythology believes opals were formed by lightning strikes, which is how the brilliant flashes of colour were captured inside the gemstone.
Opals in European History
Blonde women wore opal earrings and hair ornaments to stop their hair from going gray. An opal necklace was guaranteed to prevent hair from fading or darkening. This gemstone was said to allow its wearer the gift of invisibility, resulting in opals being called patronus forum, meaning “patron of thieves”.
When France’s Louis XI’s goldsmith broke a royal opal during a setting the furious King ordered his hands be amputated. An opal in the French crown jewels was supposedly a gift from Napoleon to Josephine. He called the brilliant stone “the burning of Troy”, and presented it to his “Helen”. Empress Eugenie, Napoleon III of France’s wife, refused to wear opals, believing the stone cursed.
In the late 19th century, Alfonso XII of Spain fell in love with the Comtesse de Castiglione. Just before their wedding the King married Princess Mercedes. The bitter Comtesse sent them an opal ring as a wedding gift. Mercedes wore the ring until her mysterious death two months later. Alfonso gave the ring to his grandmother, Queen Christina, who died a few days later. The ring passed to Alfonso’s sister, who soon succumbed to the same illness that had befallen the previous owners. This didn’t deter Alfonso’s sister-in-law, who died soon after accepting the opal ring.
Queen Victoria of England’s love of opals is well-documented. Ignoring the superstitions she and her daughters made opals fashionable. She often gave opals as wedding gifts.
Opals for October
Opal is October’s birthstone, and represents the zodiac sign of Libra. It is the astrological stone of the planet Venus, and the gemstone commemorating the 14th and 18th wedding anniversaries. Healers claim the opal is an effective treatment for eye ailments and aids the general healing process, particularly when worn as an amulet. It encourages its wearer’s creativity imagination and stimulates all workings of the mind.
The Mythology of the Opal in Australian Folklore details the opal's place in Australian culture.
For further information please see Opulent Opals; Nature's Rainbow Gemstone
Sarah Todd - Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, I have been writing since I was at school. For ten years I worked at a public relations consultancy, and ...
