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Opals were held by the Ancient Romans to be very lucky and exceeding precious. Why? The Romans understood the opal’s brilliance to be a conflagration of all other precious stones.
However, in 1829, Sir Walter Scott wrote Anne of Geierstein, in which the heroine died after holy water was sprinkled over the opal in her hair. As Scott was somewhat the Kim Kardashian of his day, the public took heed. The opal became unlucky and its value plummeted.
Years passed and as the public began shedding it’s superstitious skin, the opal was once again admired for it’s unique natural luster. Here are a few reasons why we at Augustine Jewels are so fascinated by opals…
1.
Opals are October’s birthstone so we’re paying them special attention this month.
2.
Opals are formed by the rain. There are a couple of theories, one of which is that rain water creeps into crevasses in rock and evaporates to leave behind the silica that dries out and hardens to make opal.
3.
Opals are one of only a handful of gemstones that have been discovered beyond planet earth…Opals have been found on Mars!
4.
There are many different types of opals… white opals, black opals, fire opals and crystal opals.
5.
Opals are the wedding anniversary stone for both 14 and 18 years!
We hope you’re as fascinated by opals as we are. Come and discuss your thoughts with us at 75 Westbourne Park Road, London W2 5QH.
Or, send us your own interesting gem/ jewellery story (50-100 words) for a chance to win £20 off in store or online. Please email: milka@augustinejewels.com
We’d love to hear from you.
Love,
Augustine Jewels
