The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-28
ABOUT THE OPAL.


fn1laOeipnld Times.
October's child is born for woe.
And lifes vicissitudes must know;
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull the woes TO rest
That the last lingering traces of the old
superstition regarding the evil import of
the opal are fast disappearing is shown by
the fact that nowadays 1t is universally
worn. AT one time the man or woman
whose birthday was not in October would
not buy or accept one of these gems at any
cost, but now every one is only too happy
to be the possessor Of an opal.
Jewellers. realizing the great demand
there is for opals. exhibit them in all kinds
of designs. Not only are there magnificent
necklaces and brooches for the women
bountifully supplied with this worlds
goods, but there are also rings and pins OF
all kinds in the less precious variety of
the stone for more economical purses. Par
ticularly beautiful ornaments in the form
of butterflies, beetles and other insects are
shown, and these are strikingly effective
for evening wear The comparatively re-
cent return OF the opal to that place in
popular favor which IL enjoyed in former
times is owing largely to the influence of
Queen Victoria. The opal has always been
a great favorite with her. and she has pre-
sented 1t on many occasions TO her friends
and relatives.
very highly, and it is related of the Roman
Senator Nonnius that he preferred exile
rather than give up his beautiful gem to
Marc Antony. Pliny claims TO have seen
this same stone, and he puts its value at
what would be about $4,000. He also
says of the opal that it is made up of
all the glories of all the most precious
gems" The properties, indeed, that were
ascribed to this gem by the ancients were
tar from being evil On the contrary, il was
supposed to possess wonderful supernatural
virtues. and, according to the traditional
beliefs of the Magi. the opal was proof
against all the diseases of the eye Any
one who was fortunate enough to have
this stone would have his sight preserved
and strengthened.
The opal was also thought to have the
power of attracting all other gems to itself
and could bestow upon its wearer the high
est and noblest qualities. This favorable
Specification of the opals powers continued
on past the Middle Ages, and. indeed, it
was only after Sir Walter Scott had be-
come famous, and people read of the evil
influence of the stone in his "Anne of
Gelerstein'' that it fell into dsfavor.
1t Is remarkable how widespread this be-
lief in the opal's evil powers became. 1t
spread to France and Russia, and many in
teresting stories are told showing the
strong power this superstition exercised
over the popular mind. 1t is said that the
Empress Eugene refused TO accept costly
Napoleon.
The word opal comes from the Latin
word "opalIs." 1t differs from quartz IN its
composition in that il contains from to IL
per cent. of water, its only other constitu-
ent being silica. The chief charm and beau
ty of this stone lies in its wonderf play
of brilliant colors. This is supposed to be
caused by the very small assures which
refract the light. An opal is always pol
ished with a convex surface, since that ex-
hibits the play of colors to the best advan-
tage. Opals which have become dull can be
made brilliant again by being allowed to
absorb clear water or by heating. AS the
edges of an opal are easily injured the very
finest jewels are often protected by thin
plate of quartz crystals. Opal occurs in
many different varieties of which the fol-
lowing are the most common and are ar
ranged according to their value: The
precious OF noble opal; the Harlequin opal,
In which the colors are not equally diffused
but in certain spots: the fire opal, which is
limpid and red, and which is too rare to be
used like precious opal in jewelry; the ORR
entail opal; the common opal, which is
semi-transparent and does not have the
wonderful play of colors. II is not a rare
mineral. The finest of these stones come
almost always from kaschan, in Hungary,
and these same mines have been the chief
source of the opal supply for number of
years. AS rule the opals are very small,
but If they are beautiful they are very
valuable, even If small. Precious opal Is
also found in Saxony and South America
have been brought from Queensland 1t is
claimed that the mines of the latter place
will outrival those of Hungary. Oriental
opals come from Honduras and Nicaragua
and 1t is often said that some OF this same
variety is originally from the Hungarian
mines. but has been taken away by Grecian
and turkish merchants and has found it:
way back by the Indies to Holland The fire
opal is found in the Farce islands, Guate-
mala, Mexico and the United States Hum
boldt had the honor of bringing from Next
co the first specimen of fire opal ever seen
Black opals have been found in Egypt.
out they are very rare, and therefore of
great value The bamboo opal, which has
been discovered in the Philippines is also
very valuable. These opals are very small
but beautiful in coloring, and are found
SO seldom In the stems of the bamboo that
.ney can never be In the market to any
The most highly valued opals are those
that have the changeabie red and green
Vienna contains the most beautiful and
celebrated opal known. 1t is five inches
by two and half. The Empress Josephine
also possessed a magnificent opal. which
was called, on account OF the popularity
OF the play of colors. ''the Burning OF
Troy The Hope opal, at one time the
property of an English banker. and DOW
IN a Chicago museum. is another splendid
specimen of this gem. Harvard Uniyersitv
has probably one of the finest masses of
opals in any collection.
There Is a great possibility Of the limited
States, at some future day, producing
largely opals of value. Already opal mines
exist and some precious opal has been dis
covered The first real precious opal ever
found in the United States was discovered
near the boundary line of Idaho and WASH
ington. and now 1t is found in Oregon and
Georgia also. The fact that a single Idaho
opal sold for $1,000 shows that the quail
ity of the stone is evidently OF the high
est and that in time we may be as noted
for our opal mines as we are for our other
mines.