Untitled

OPAL.
No wonder that in the absence of the diamond as we know it
now, with all the colors of the rainbow flashing from its pure depths,
the opal, in a different way exemplifying the same idea, should once
have been the cynosure of all eyes.
"Of all precious stones," says Pliny, "the opal is the most difficult
to describe, since it combines in one gem the beauties of many."
He also observes that, like the emerald, the opal was almost never
engraved, being altogether too costly and rare.
Sixteen centuries later another expressed himself in these
words :
opal is a precious stone which has in it the bright fiery
"The
flame of the carbuncle, the fine refulgent purple of the amethyst, and
a whole sea of the emerald's green glory; and all of them shining
with an incredible mixture and very much pleasure."
Another of still later date, speaking of the red, yellow, green,
blue and violet of the opal, mentions how they "appear at times in
certain parts of the stone, crossing each other in vivid play with an
effect that is almost magical."
There was, indeed, no precious stone which the Romans valued
more for itself alone. In those days it was rare and expensive. Probably
all in existence came from Hungary. They were often carried
to India via Constantinople, whence they were returned, like Brazilian
diamonds centuries later, with an Oriental prefix and greatly enhanced
price so valued then as now were the gems of India. The
East has produced no opals ; and it is the one gem which defies imi-
tation.
Rarity rather than beauty fixes value ; rarity and beauty in equal
measure plus popular demand. All these desirable attributes the
opal possessed at the beginning of the Christian era but ; early in the
nineteenth century it began to be more plentiful, through the dis-
and after the publication of "Anne of
covery of the Mexican mines ;
Geierstein," in 1831, by Sir Walter Scott, who invented the superstition
of its ill luck, it ceased to be desired.
Senator Nonius, in the reign of Julius Caesar, possessed a ring
set with an opal as large as a filbert, valued at $100,000. Mark Anthony
coveted the jewel, but its owner turned a deaf ear, whereupon
the Senator was told that he must choose between the opal and Rome,
which he did in favor of his gem.
The ancients, like the Orientals to this day, considered the opal
the source of all possible good, the most beneficent as well as the
most beautiful of precious stones. Not only to them did it possess
specific powers of its own, but as its colors symbolized all gems, the
ruby, sapphire, amethyst, emerald, so its magical properties were sup-
56