Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-26
suPERsr1rrpN or THE OPAL.
Its Origin in Sbutt'DNovel-Why the
Stones Are So often Lost.

4CS OI1Slu IN SDutfpM0Vet-Wny tho
Stones Are So often Lost.
From the st. James eazettag
II the average person was asked his or
her opinion Of opals the, reply would almost
invariably be OF this nature: "Opals are
certainly very beautiful--but. then. you
know. 1t is SO unlucky To- wear them. unless
you happen to be, born In October"
The origin Of superstition Is always hard
to find and no exception can be made In
the case Of the one concerning the opal 1t
is not at all unlikely that the widespread
feeling Of distrust with which the opal Is
regarded originated with the narrative OF
Donnerhugel in Sir Walter SCOTS novel.
ANNE Of Geierstein." 1t Villa be rernen-
bered how the mysterious and Inflated
Baroness Hermione Invariably wore IN her
auburn tresses golden clasp which was
ornamented with a superb opal. This gem,
which she never removed except for few
moments while her hair was being combe~,
was possessed of a peculiar quality. When
the baroness became animated the jewel
displayed q twinkling and flashing CLEAN
which seemed to be emitted by the gem It
self and not produced In the usual manner
by the reflection ofsexternal light. When
the beautiful wearer was agitated by hasty
or brief resentment, dark red sparks SEEM
ed to flash from the mystic brooch as IL 1t
sympathized with It's mistress emotions
sive when any water was brought near 1t,
and when. at the christening of her child,
drop of holy water lighted on the opal 1t
Will be remembered how the stone shot out
spark like falling star and instantly
became light1ess and colorless as a COM
mon pebble. The baroness sank to the
ground with cry of pain, and was carried
to her chamber dying woman. This mys-
ferrous lady, who had appeared so sud
denly, disappeared as suddenly, for a few
hours afterward nothing could be seen of
the late baroness except handful of light
gray ashes.
It may be considered improbable that so
prevalent a superstition should be based on
such slender grounds as fairy tale in one
or Sir Walter SCOTS: novels, but such APP
pears to be the case, as 1t would be difficult
TO hnd an actual case where the successive
wearers Of an opal have been logged W. n
bad luck. Such stories are frequent, but
their origin. like that. of so many ghost
stories, is probably entirely mythical.
1t Is possible, however, that the so-called
III luck of the opal is due to the fact that
the stone Is a soft one, and II exposed to
constant friction is liable to become loose
and fall out. 1t is very necessary that
opais should be securely set. but. whatever
the setting, 1t is always advisable to give
the stones careful scrutiny from time to
time, and not to expose them to undue wear
and tear: If this is done. there seems to
be no valid reason why the opal should be
regarded as bringing i'll luck to the wearer.
Judging from history, the reverse seems to
be the case.
1t Is Well known that the late Queen Vic
tor1a, who was blessed with proverbial
LUCK was very fond of these stones and
presented each of her daughters upon their
marriage with parure of opals and dia-
monds 1t cannot be said that these mar
r1ages have been otherwise than fruitful
ana prosperous. A lady in waiting once
said to the late queen: II am surprised,
your majesty, that you are so fond of
opals, as they are known to be so I'M
lucky The queens reply was as follows.
queen Elizabeth always wore opals and
nave always worn them, and we have al
ways found them lucky stones" The opal,
100, Is favOrtte stone in the German royal
FAMILY. The ex-Empress Eugenie on the
contrary, steadily refused to wear opals of
any description. and her life was full of
vicissitude and disaster
II we go back to the times of the ancient
Romans, we find no trace whatever Of any
Ill repute attaching to the "opalus" The
esteem with which this stone was regarded
Dy them was very marked. "Of all pre-
clous stones" writes Pliny 1.-THE opal Is the
most olmcult to describe, since 1t combines
IN one gem the beauties Of many species
the fire of the carbuncle, the purple of the
the yellow of the topaz" We learn from
the same writer that the Senator Nonils
possessed valuable ring, in the center of
which was set an opal about the size of a
naZel nut This ring was coveted by Marc
antony, and Nonius, sooner than lose his
precious jewel escaped from the country
CARRYING the ring with him as the sole relic
OF ms fortune. He preferred exile with bis
opal TO living In Rome without it.