The history of opal

As the most elegant and magical of all the gemstones, opal has been favored since the very beginning of civilization. The word of opal originated in Sanskrit “Upala”, which means “precious”. There are also other roots such as Greek “Opallios”(to observe color change) and Latin “Opalus” (seeing jewel).
Since the Dreaming times, the Australian aborigines have been aware of opal’s beauty and magic energy. The opal was even endowed with the name “Rainbow Serpent”. And the mysterious creation of it is that “The Creator took the colors of the rainbow, and put them into stone to make opal”.
Different cultures present different myths in opal. For example, the ancient Greeks believed that opal indicated foresight and prophecy. While the Arabs held the belief that opal fell from the heaven in flashes of lightning.
Over 10.000 years ago, arcaeological evidence reveals that opal was mined in Virgin Valley in north America. Quoted his friend Onomacritus: the ancient Greek Theophrastus (372-287 B.C.E.) wrote “the delicacy of the opal reminds me of a loving and beautiful child”.
Throughout the Middle Ages (5th-14th centuries), opal was widely called as “ophthalmios”(eye stone) because of its said benefit to the eyes. Shakespeare (1564-1616) said opal as a mirace and the Queen of Gems. Queen Victoria (1837-1901) was fond of opal and wore it in her whole life. Meanwhile, she liked to present opal to her friends and other Royal Family members.
Discovered in Australia at Lightning Ridge in the late 1880s, opal has become the national stone of the country.