Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-26
If Your Birthday
Comes in October
You May Choose the Bcryi'
Acquamarine or Opal.

ONE might as we'll imagine that
to see pin and not pick 1t up |
is a sign that i'll luck is I'm store |
throughout the day as to feel any |
canger in wearing the opal; yet, as
n matter OF fact. so strong is the
superstition among us that jewelers.
frequently have on hand opals OF
really great value for which they
could not possibly find purchaser.
Fortunately then for the superst-
tious folk who are born in October
there is choice of stones for that
month, and though the opal is by
far the most beautiful of the three
stones. the alternatives in the form
of the beryl and the acduamarine are
not without their admirers toe.
To many persons the opal seems
the most beautiful of all precious
stones and no wonder il was early
in history ascribed with magical i'm
fiuence, since il seems 10 hold within
itself all the other gems. IL Is in
deed a natural prism, combining
within itself an original beauty and
fellowship with all the other
stones: at one moment shedding the
pale light of the moon, at the next
flashing as the sun. One old writer
wrote many centuries ago of the
opal thus: il has in IL the bright,
fiery flame of a carbuncle, the pure
refulgent purple of an amethyst, and
n whole sea of the emeralds spring
glory of virescency, aud every one
Of them shining with an incl edible
mixture and very much pleasure"
The idea that the opal was an un
lucky stone is not of great antiquity.
and il was called opal, derived from
the Greek meaning eye. because IL
was believed to be helpful in restor-
ing sight, and il was said to have
the property when wrapped in bay
leaf Of making the holder invisible
For this reason il was highly re
garded by thieves or those who
sought TO work in secrecy.
Among the very valuable opals
was one in the French crown jewel:
that was valued once at $1,000
Fifty years ago a single opal fetched
as high price as 100000, anI
there was one in the Austrian crown
Jewels said to weigh seventeen
ounces. though it is not Of the fines
quality.
One thing that ought to commen'
the opal especially is the fact tha
it is still almost impossible to imi
tate it. At one time ii was said t
be the only precious stone that de
fed imitation. 1t is, as a matter Q
fact, nothing but form of quart:
The exquisite color is caused b
myriad cracks in which water an
air produce prismic effects.
In spite of the fact that opals ar
very frequently set with diamond
il is a stone that really looks hes
when set with no other stone.
set with less brilliant stones, Il
wonderful animation robs them {
their charm and if set with brilliar
diamonds, much is taken from il
own play of colors.
The beryl. though OF small valu
is a pretty greenish or blush yello
stone that is frequently used in Sc
rings. Sometimes il is found in
pretty rose color, and il has bee
mined in Connecticut and Alabama
For the person born in Octob'
who wishes to have a ring showiT
the stone of his guardian angel al
apostle for the month"; quaint o
custom worth reviving-it is wor'
knowing that for the angel nam,
BARREL. agate is the stone, and Z
the apostle Simon jacinth is selecte
The combination, though symbol
might not be altogether pleasin
The hop. rnC entity used as the syr
bollic flov the month. is som
times ust. the design in an orn
mental gold r.ng, for persons bo
in October.