Few gemstones carry as much mystical weight as the opal. For centuries, it has been a stone of prophecy, a symbol of hope, and—more recently—the subject of a peculiar "bad luck" rumor. Today, we peel back the layers of history to find the truth.
The "Bad Luck" Marketing Myth
The common belief that opals are unlucky is a relatively modern invention. It gained traction in the 19th century following the release of Sir Walter Scott's novel, Anne of Geierstein, where a character's opal loses its fire upon contact with holy water. This fictional plot point was ironically used by diamond merchants of the era to discourage the rising popularity of the newly discovered Australian opals. In reality, throughout most of human history, opals were seen as the luckiest stones of all.
Ancient Roman Adoration
The Romans called opals Opalus—the stone of preciousness. Pliny the Elder, the famous Roman scholar, wrote that because opals contain the colors of every other gem (the red of ruby, the green of emerald, the purple of amethyst), they possessed all their virtues and powers combined. They were the ultimate symbol of love and status.
The Creator's Footsteps
Australian Aboriginal lore tells a beautiful story of the opal's origin. They believe the Creator came down to Earth on a rainbow to bring a message of peace. At the spot where his feet touched the ground, the rocks became alive with the colors of the rainbow, creating the first opals. This "fire from the heavens" is what we strive to capture in every Aura piece.