Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
THE IMPERIAL OPAL.
A Commonwealth Gift From Austria
liza to the English Crown.


| From the London Chronicle.
In connection with the royal Jewels. an
interesting story has reached the Daily
Chronicle about a wonderful Queensland
opal that would have been added to the
crown regalia had Queen Victoria lived to
see the opening of the commonwealth par
Lament by her grandson, the Duke OF Corn
wall and York. in May next.
The opal in question for a number Of years
past has been the property Of a well-known
gentleman who was a leading lawyer during
the earlier days in Brisbane. and subse-
quently in Sydney, where he became con-
nected with squatting and mining ventures
on a large scale In 1892 at the time OF the
conference of the premiers, the late Sir
James r. Dickson undertook to bring
Queensland into the federation. The owner
of the opal and Sir James Dickson had been
old friends in Brisbane, and IN discussing
the situation he said TO the deceased states
man. when the first parliament of united
Australia assemblies from all the states 1
shall present my opal TO the queen In the
name of the commonwealth, as there Is as
yet no Australian gem Of value in the rega-
liza Of the empire"
Sir James Dickson, who was devotedly ct
tached to the crown, and To the mainte-
nance in the fullest respect of its preroga-
tive in Australia, was greatly pleased with
the idea, which also received the warm sup
port OF well-known gentlemen holding Of
fetal positions in connection with colonial
affairs. In fact, on being shown the gem
from his old colony of Queensland OF which
he the first premier forty years ago.
Sir Robert W. G. Herbert, who is inti-
mate friend of the owner. named # the
imperial opal"
The stone was deposited with bankers IN
London some years ago, where 1t has lain
since, until the owner who Is now in Eng
land on a visit, reclaimed IL a few days ago.
when 1t was courteously shown to Daily
Chronicle representative at the offices Of the
bank. The imperial opaP' has as yet been
oHP Val q c VIA he Gxxrn-
er's wish that Queen Victoria herself should
have the first inspection Of it.
Though many people regard the posses
sion OF opals as unlucky-this has certainly
not been the case with the owner of the
imperial opal'-it is well known that the
late Queen Victoria had a prediction for
these stones. a knowledge Of which fact Or
fgfnally prompted the idea OF making the
proposed presentat ton. So far as can be as
certsined, Queen Alexandra has no declared
preference for opals, and a consequence
no action has yet been taken since the late
queens death.
1t is only Of comparatively late date, as
told by Sir Walter Scott, that opals came
to be regarded as unlucky on the continent
Of Europe Anne Of Geierstein had an opal
heirloom which she greatly priced. She new
that dampness affected the brilliancy Of her
opal, which must have been OF inferior quail
ity. When she wore II at church she refused
to take the holy water. Sinister rumors I'm
consequence soon spread among the ie-
norant peasantry, which received apparent
confirmation when her child was baptized.
At the baptismal font the opal got wet, and
Anne cried out, II have lost my opal" Two
hours afterward she died Of heart disease
probably accelerated by her perturbation
about the opal, which thereafter came 10
be looked upon as an unlucky stone.
In the ancient days Of Rome, however, the
opal was considered lucky Pliny relates
how the rich Roman Senator Nonius had q
noble" opal. and priced It for the luck ft
brought him. 1t was coveted by Mark An
tony, who wished to present Il to Cleopat-
ra, and offered To purchase II from the son-
ator for a sum equivalent to eco 600 of pres
ent-day currency. Nonius, however, re-
fused to SELL and to gain possession Of the
gem Mark Antony had him prescribed, and
sentence of Punishment pronounced against
him. Nonius, IL is recorded, went into ex-
lie, taking his lucky opal with him as MS
Ia not known. but It Ia certainly not the
one shown to the Daily Chronicle REPRESENT
alive, as the opal OF Nonius was described
az being ''of the size OF hazel nut" while
that intended a gift from the Common
wealth of Australia to Queen Victoria is 30
carats In weight and two inches in length
and of corresponding thickness
Opals, unless exceptionally fine have mn
recognized standard of value although there
Is one In the Possession OF the Emperor OF
Austria. for which his imperial majesty A.
said to have refused the sum of 10000 IL
Is claimed, however. that the Imperial
Opal or Australia 10 Of greater value Des-
uitory mining for opals has gone on for
many years past m several parts of The IN.
terror Of Queensland. but the returns hava
not been large. and no other stone in anv
way approaching the Imperial onaP. ia.
yet been found In the statA